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- IPL 2012
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Champions League T20 2012
Knight Riders look to raise the bar
Devashish Fuloria
October 11, 2012
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Series/Tournaments:
Champions League Twenty20
Teams:
India
| Kolkata Knight Riders
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The last time Kolkata Knight Riders were in South Africa was during their disastrous IPL 2009 campaign when they finished at the bottom of the table. Since then, they went for a multi-million dollar overhaul and changed the entire machinery starting with their captain. Out went an old, weary and confused lot and in came a leaner, more efficient and cohesive Knight Riders version 2 and the change had an immediate effect.
The Champions League will be a different beast though. Knight Riders have the tough task of leading the IPL flag in markedly different conditions. The other challenge for the team will be to hit the ground running in the two-week long tournament, as their won't be many chances to make a comeback after a bad start.
So, to avoid all that good work between 2009 and this trip, Knight Riders will need their leading lights to show the way. That includes the captain Gautam Gambhir, Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee and Sunil Narine, who played a key role in his team's IPL triumph, and the only remnant of the 2009 trip, Brendon McCullum.
Though Gambhir was the chief aggressor and one of the leading run-getters in IPL this year - he scored 590 runs at a strike rate of 143.55 - his current form could be a concern. Therefore, the responsibility of leading a talented, but young, batting brigade will rest on McCullum and Kallis. The South African pitches will also suit their games.
Knight Riders' bowling fortunes will still largely depend on Narine - the second highest wicket-taker in IPL 2012. But their support cast was impressive as well. L Balaji's performance this year didn't escape the eyes of the national team selectors, while Rajat Bhatia's canny medium-pace fetched him 13 wickets. The team also includes two of the world's best allrounders in Kallis and Shakib Al Hasan.
The tournament is also an opportunity for some Indian players - like Manoj Tiwary and Yusuf Pathan - to impress the new national selection panel. Tiwary has waited for a year with his foot in the door and a good showing in South Africa could add weight to his CV. For Yusuf, a performance true to his reputation could bring him back in the reckoning for an India limited-overs spot.
How they qualified
Knight Riders are the current IPL champions. After coming second to Delhi Daredevils in the league stage by one point, Knight Riders beat Daredevils in the first playoff to qualify for their maiden final, in Chennai. There, they beat Super Kings by five wickets.
Key Player
Gautam Gambhir has instilled aggression into the team with his captaincy. His batting has reaped the benefit of his approach, as he rose from being an accumulator to destroyer. In this year's IPL, Gambhir scored six half-centuries, slammed 17 sixes and collected 64 boundaries - well ahead of the next batsman in the team. Some of these runs came on the slow Kolkata track on which others found it hard to get going. Despite his recent form in international cricket, his resilience will still hold the key for Knight Riders.
Surprise package
Just when Chennai Super Kings had thought they were on track for another IPL title, Manvinder Bisla proved to be the jack-in-the-box with a brutal and nerveless 48-ball 89 that won the Knight Riders their first IPL title. That innings represented 42% of Bisla's batting contribution in the tournament, but it also showcased his talent as he easily outscored Kallis at the other end.
Weakness
Gambhir was inspiring with his batting earlier this year and fortunate to have ideal bowlers for the tired, slow and low pitches in India. However, all those plans will need a rejig on fresher pitches that retain some moisture. Gambhir, the captain, could be susceptible to the bounce himself and the movement, and his failure could drag the team along.
Devashish Fuloria is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
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© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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My KKR team is 1)Ghambir 2)Bisla 3)Kallis 4)Shakib 5)Tiwary 6)Yusuf 7)Das 8)Bhatia 9.Narine 10)Lee 11)Balaji... This team is certainly well balanced with good seamers and world class spinners.. There's also depth in the batting with Das coming at 7.. I didnt keep McCullum coz he is too inconsistent and u just cant take the risk of playing him and hoping that he gets a great day!!
Posted byNo way... KKR Can't win i m Damm Sure about it...
Posted bymy KKR team is, 1. Ghambir 2.Kalis 3.Macculam 4.Tiwari 5.Shakib 6.Yusuf 7. Bhatia 8.Narine 9.Balaji I think these 9 should be fixed, other 2 could be selected from the other players. sorry for lee, and abdullah... i think they are not good enough for this season.
Posted byI think tthe biggest problem is for kkr is, they dnt have fast bowlers, as they needed
Posted by Chetan007 on (October 13, 2012, 8:22 GMT)Why everyone forget about Ryan ten Doeschate. He is also a world class player. He has played in SA for the t20 tournament, and has a great experience playing in those conditions. We need more pace bowlers instead of spinners in SA. So, I'll pick him ahead of Shakib al Hasan. There might be some chances of switching between Shakib and Sunil if team needs one of them. My team for KKR is- Gambhir, McCullum, Kallis, Tiwari, Bisla/Das, Ryan ten Doeschate, Yusuf Pathan, Lee, Balaji, Ahmed, Abdulla. I'll treat CLT20 as a tournament to groom some youngsters for the Indian team. There's nothing if we loose trying these instead we might gain something for Indian team. My team for Delhi is- Chand, Warner, Pietersen, Virender Sehwag, Jayawardene, Rao, Ojha, Pathan, Yadav, Morkel, Nadeem.
Posted by sweetspot on (October 13, 2012, 6:58 GMT)Bisla the surprise package? Yeah, because of ONE innings? What happened to Paul Valthatty with that kind of show?
Posted byI think KKR might like to give Pradeep Sangwan or Shami Ahmed a chance ...because I am not sure about Lee's fitness ! They might need to squeeze out 12 overs of pace bowling. Kallis, Balaji and a third seamer (Lee if he is fit). Shakib's added experience as a spinner could come handy in seaming condition. In seaming condition, I don't see any reason to play Iqbal Abdullah. It could be an interesting lineup this time!
Posted by AMAZINGFAN on (October 13, 2012, 3:30 GMT)KKR WILL NOT WIN EVEN A SINGLE MATCH....THEY R SPIN DEPENDENT TEAM.....MI WILL WIN CLT20 ONCE AGAIN.....
Posted by theswami on (October 13, 2012, 1:38 GMT)KKR has a great all-round team: My XI would be Gambhir, Bisla, Kallis, McCullum, Tiwary, al-Hasan, Bhatia, Pathan, Abdullah, Balaji, Narine.
Posted by ajeeshferdin10 on (October 13, 2012, 0:36 GMT)gambhir ll play well for his franchise no probs but not for India...