4 Players KKR might retain ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction

KKR reached the finals of the IPL 2021.

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Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill of KKR. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Well, for KKR, the IPL 2021 eventually was a supernova season. The franchise after a hiatus of two years finally qualified for the playoffs and ultimately came second only to MSD’s CSK. In between, players like Shubman Gill and Sunil Narine also malfunctioned but lastly, they returned as the glowing cogs of the side. Even captain Morgan endured a severe glitch with the bat but his captaincy was a mega-hit.

However, with the next IPL cycle now demanding a fresh start, KKR certainly has a lot to pick and choose from their current squad. Since the franchise in recent years had a flawless blend of quality Indian players along with some overseas white-ball veterans, it will be very interesting to see their final retentions and eliminations. Hence in this list, let’s check out-

Four possible retentions KKR might go with ahead of the mega auction

1. Andre Russell

Andre Russell
Andre Russell. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Well, there’s absolutely no doubt that KKR certainly loves Andre Russell. The Jamaican all-rounder is always the first overseas penned name when it comes to their playing XI and has been part of the franchise since 2014. Also, though in this seven-year-old relationship there have been many dreadful storms, the management has still kept Russell’s presence very much intact. In fact, to eradicate his chronic knee injury, the KKR think tank has pulled many strings to get its muscle man into full fitness.

However, as a player, even Russel eminently has given back a profusion to KKR. The cricketer is currently their fourth-highest run-scorer scoring a total of 1707 runs from his 83 games at an average of almost 30. Perhaps when it comes to the strike rate then Russell butchers the ball in excess of 180. And if the all-rounder jubilantly is at his full fitness then Russell can enclose most games in the death overs.

Also barring his heroics for KKR, the 33-year old is also now a legendary name in the realm of global T20 cricket. The Jamaican is almost now on the verge of playing more than 400 T20 games along with touching the mark of 6500 runs. Overall, this T20 superstar is definitely one of the very elusive batters that can chop any mountain of a total into a molehill. Hence, retaining Andre Russell will surely be a no-brainer for KKR.

2. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Fortunately, in the recently concluded 4-year cycle, Shubman Gill gave massive rewards to KKR. By starting as a middle-order batter, Gill initially amassed runs at an average of around 33 and struck the ball in excess of 145. Perhaps when the youngster started to open from his last two seasons, Gill stacked more than 900 plus runs.

Now though in between in IPL 2021, the 22-year old looked completely out of touch, in the second half, his batting was a massive revelation. By giving steady starts at the top, Gill’s batting served as a strong foundation for the middle-order, and especially in the run chases, it became the highlight of KKR’s overall batting. In fact, KKR’s minor investment of under INR 2 Crore as Gill’s per season salary has extracted them more than what was expected.

Overall if to further elaborate, then in the second half of IPL 2021, this KKR opener has played more splendidly than team India’s most elite T20I players. Certainly, after IPL 2021, the youngster has prolifically raised his value as a T20 batter and he perhaps in the mega auction can easily bag whooping paychecks. Hence, it will be very unlikely to see the KKR head coach and his think tank getting past such a future bright talent of Indian cricket.

3. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

Well, since IPL 2020, the entire world has got sensationalized by Varun Chakaravarthy’s mystery spin. The cricketer from his last two seasons has been on par with the IPL’s best till date spinner- Rashid Khan and perhaps has even bamboozled many of his own teammates. In the IPL 2021, the mystery man also took the most wickets by a spinner eventually sealing his spot in the 2021 World T20.

Now in fact with team India also casting Chakravarthy as its chief spinner in the mega event certainly does speak volumes of the 30-year old’s prowess. Collectively for KKR, this lanky scalper has already bagged a total of 35 wickets from his 30 games at a commendable economy of around 6. Perhaps at the slow-turning wickets of the UAE, Chakravarthy was KKR’s best bowler and by teaming up with the veteran Sunil Narine, the duo profoundly changed KKR’s fortunes.

Overall, in the year 2021, Varun Chakravarthy has not only established himself as a premier IPL spinner but also the current spin chief of team India in T20Is. Hence such kind of a rhinestone will not only fetch clear retention but will also be even more treasured in the coming future.

4. Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League)

Now specifically for their fourth retention slab, the KKR franchise still certainly has few strong options to pick and choose from. The franchise to strengthen its pace bowling can look to retain their Aussie spearhead Pat Cummins or can even provide an extension to skipper Morgan’s valiant leadership. Some of the KKR fans also have expressed their strong opinions to retain the likes of Venkatesh Iyer but retention of an uncapped player looks very unlikely.

However, the recent resurgence of the veteran Sunil Narine has again sparked a debate regarding his potential reservation slot. Since the cricketer in the second half of IPL 2021 was back amongst the wickets and runs, the management can again get conceived to prolong his presence. Now though the firepower in his batting and the mystery element in his bowling isn’t at their peaks, the second half showed that there’s still enough left in the tank to win games.

Overall Narine’s resurgence tremendously helped KKR to boss games at the sluggish turning tracks of the UAE.  By picking a total of 16 wickets at an economy of 6.44 and scoring game-defining cameos in the middle-order certainly can attract a reservation for him if the think tank wants to sustain its spin arsenal. All in all, the recent revival has surely provided him with a rope that can continue his future presence in the KKR.

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