Team-wise one player whom CSK should target in the next IPL auction

7) Kolkata Knight Riders – Lockie Ferguson

Even though the Kolkata Knight Riders are still in the race of playoff contention, the team is digging a hole for themselves. They are playing some sloppy cricket. And add to that to their woes, the change in captaincy and injuries to key players has come at the wrong time. They should be careful, as things can quickly escalate out of their hands with the kind of hammering they received from the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In this season, the Knight Riders have been carried by individual brilliance. Its best example is Lockie Ferguson, who has been the only ray of hope in their bowling department. The Kiwi pacer has given the team the necessary boost with his ability to extract raw pace on UAE pitches. And now it appears a mistake on Kolkata’s part to bench him for the first half of the season.

Lockie is a wicket-taking bowler, and it is clear from his two outings in the IPL 2020. In that, he also won a Man of the Match award for his game-changing spell against Sunrisers Hyderabad. But somehow, Kolkata doesn’t seem to trust him with his skills. That’s why he has only played 7 games in 2 seasons. Besides, the presence of Pat Cummins has also made him the secondary overseas bowling option. So by the looks of it, he might be released ahead of the next auctions.

Looking at that as an opportunity, the Chennai Super Kings should try to make him an offer. Ferguson will be able to inject the required dose of pace, which the current CSK pace attack lacks. He can form a lethal combination with the likes of Deepak Chahar and Sam Curran. In all, he can change the dynamism of the CSK bowling attack, which has been mostly dependent on spin bowlers till now.