IPL 2024: With a short time left before the start of the 17th season of India’s biggest cricket festival, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, all IPL franchises and players have already begun their preparations. Under these preparations, an auction for IPL 2024 was conducted in December.
During this auction, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) roped in several big players, including three who could play a crucial role in making KKR the champions of this IPL season. Let’s find out who these three players are and how their inclusion strengthens KKR’s chances of winning the title for the third time.
KKR has invested heavily in several players during the IPL 2024 auction. Their captain, Shreyas Iyer, is fully fit and prepared for a comeback. With the addition of veterans like Gautam Gambhir as a mentor, expectations are soaring. However, winning this season won’t be easy for KKR, as all teams appear strong. But with the caliber of players KKR has acquired, the odds might be in their favor.
Manish Pandey
In IPL 2024, the player who can play a crucial role in helping Kolkata Knight Riders become champions with his outstanding performance is star middle-order batsman Manish Pandey. Kolkata acquired him during the IPL 2024 auction at his base price of 50 lakh rupees. In the previous season, Manish Pandey was a part of the Delhi Capitals.
However, due to not being able to perform exceptionally well there, he was released. But at the beginning of this year, he announced his comeback by scoring a brilliant century in the Ranji Trophy 2024. With the expectation of him scoring many runs, he could play a significant role in leading the team to victory.
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Mitchell Starc
One of the most lethal fast bowlers of the Australian cricket team, Mitchell Starc, was acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL 2024 auction for a record bid of 24.75 crore rupees, making it the most expensive bid in IPL history. This acquisition could play a significant role in leading them to become champions for the third time.
Mitchell Starc has not been a part of the IPL for quite some time due to his focus on representing his country in cricket. However, this year, the T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled to begin on June 1. The upcoming T20 World Cup is being hosted by the United States and the West Indies. For better preparation for this event, Starc decided to return to the IPL, and by doing so, he might also help Kolkata Knight Riders clinch the trophy
Sherfane Rutherford
After the inclusion of a third player in the IPL 2024, their team has significantly strengthened. One such name is Sherfane Rutherford, whom Kolkata Knight Riders acquired by placing a bid of 1.50 crore rupees. At just 25 years old, Sherfane not only bats in the middle order but can also bowl when needed, which could be highly beneficial for Kolkata. Rutherford has been a part of the IPL in the 2019 and 2022 seasons, showcasing some impactful batting performances. This season, expectations are high for him to deliver similarly powerful batting displays.
Additionally, the Kolkata Knight Riders team appears to be one of the strongest teams for IPL 2024, making them strong contenders for the IPL trophy. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether Kolkata can once again clinch the trophy or not
Kolkata Knight Riders’ trophy record
The Kolkata Knight Riders are the third most successful team in IPL history. So far, in the history of the IPL, both the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians have won the IPL trophy five times each. In contrast, Kolkata has achieved this feat twice. Under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders won the trophy for the first time by defeating the Chennai Super Kings in the 2012 final. Then, after a year, in 2014 under Gambhir’s leadership, Kolkata Knight Riders clinched the IPL trophy once again by defeating Kings XI Punjab in the final, which is now known as Punjab Kings. Now, it remains to be seen whether, under Gautam Gambhir’s mentorship, Kolkata Knight Riders can become champions for the third time or not.
Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2024
Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nitish Rana, KS Bharat, Manish Pandey, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Jason Roy, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakraborty, Mujeeb Ur. Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Ramandeep Singh, Sunil Narine, Suyyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Sherfane Rutherford and Saqib Hussain.
Players bought by KKR in IPL 2024 auction
Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore), Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Rs 2 crore), Sherfane Rutherford (Rs 1.5 crore), Gus Atkinson (Rs 1 crore), KS Bharat (Rs 50 lakh), Manish Pandey (Rs 50 lakh), Chetan Sakariya (Rs 50 lakh), Angkrish Raghuvanshi (Rs 20 lakh), Ramandeep Singh (Rs 20 lakh) and Saqib Hussain (Rs 20 lakh).
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