5 players on whom KKR may use RTM in the IPL 2022 mega auction

On paper, two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) boast of having one of the most competent and intimidating squads among all the franchises. Before the commencement of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), it seemed that KKR have all the bases covered as they had some notable batsmen, spinners, all-rounders, and pacers on their side. 

However, the franchise flattered in the T20 Championship as they could win just two games from seven matches and were languishing at the second-last position on the points table of IPL 2021. The Knight Riders will now be hoping to make amends in the next season and will be strategising on which player to retain.

BCCI is likely to host a mega-auction for IPL 2022. In the case of the mega-auction, the franchise can retain only three players while they can also use the Right To Match card to bring back two of their players. KKR might end up retaining Shubman Gill, Pat Cummins, and Andre Russell.

In the article, here’s a list of five players on whom KKR can use their RTM card:

1. Nitish Rana

Kolkata Knight Riders acquired the services of top-order batsman Nitish Rana during the IPL 2018 auction by shelling a handsome amount of INR 3.4 crores. The 27-year-old has performed decently for the Knight Riders in the past four seasons. Rana formed a backbone of KKR’s batting line-up as he registered scores of 304, 344, and 352 in IPL 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively.

In the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) too, Rana got off to a brilliant start. Nitish was assigned a new role this season as he opened the innings alongside Shubman Gill. He started his campaign with scores of 80 and 57 respectively against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Mumbai Indians (MI) respectively. 

However, the left-hander flattered to deceive after the initial start as he lost track and failed to give the desired start in the coming matches. After the seven matches, Nitish Rana ended up with 201 runs. However, the management is likely to show trust in the batsman as they can include him back in the squad using the RTM card.

2. Varun Chakravarthy

In the recent past, leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy has constantly made headlines owing to his brilliant performance. Varun has bowled exceptionally well in the powerplay, middle overs, or towards the end of the innings. The 2021 edition saw Chakravarthy emerging as one of the most successful spinners in the tournament.

In seven matches, the 29-year-old scalped seven wickets at an average of 31.29. In addition, an Indian debut is on the cards for Varun. The leg-spinner was named in India’s T20I squad for the Indian tour of Australia but he couldn’t travel due to an injury. Chakravarthy again received his maiden call-up for the five-match T20I series against England but his fitness concerns resulted in India dropping the spinner.

Thus, Kolkata Knight Riders are unlikely to let go of an asset like Varun Chakravarthy and they can make use of their RTM card to acquire his services.

3. Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik joined the two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2018 edition of the T20 extravaganza. Karthik has done a decent job as a wicketkeeper-batsman for the Knight Riders.

He also captained the franchise for two years but decided to step down in IPL 2021 to make way for England skipper Eoin Morgan. Karthik continues to be an integral part of the Kolkata setup as he comes with a lot of experience and exposure.

The 35-year-old has played a stunning 203 IPL matches scoring a stunning 3946 runs at an average of 26.1 and strike rate of 129.9. In addition, Dinesh also makes for a good leadership option if management decides to let go of Eoin Morgan.

4. Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine has been an invaluable asset to the Knight Riders team. The West Indies all-rounder made his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during the 2012 edition for the Knight Riders. KKR haven’t let go of the all-rounder since his debut in the T20 league and Narine has also repaid the faith by delivering many match-defining performances.

Narine is a flexible batsman and has essayed almost all the roles for Knight Riders be it of the opener, finisher, or middle-order batter. In 124 IPL matches, the 32-year-old has scored 902 runs at a strike rate of 161.6. He has also picked 130 wickets at an economy rate of 6.78 and an average of 25.1.

Kolkata Knight Riders are unlikely to release Sunil Narine during the mega-auction for IPL 2022 also and will be looking forward to keeping the all-rounder in the team by using the Right To Match card.

5. Lockie Ferguson

New Zealand’s right-arm fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is a competent seamer and adds a lot of value to the team’s bowling unit. Ferguson is quite renowned for his ability to generate raw pace and delivering good bouncers. However, there is no doubt to the fact that Lockie has been under-utilized by the Kolkata Knight Riders management.

Thus far, the 29-year-old has played just 14 IPL matches and has returned with 11 wickets. In the 2020 edition, hosted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Lockie featured in just five matches. In those fixtures, the right-hander ended up with six wickets and managed to impress the cricket fraternity.

However, despite a good performance in IPL 2020, Lockie didn’t feature even in a single game for KKR and had to warm the bench in 2021. Despite, not utilizing the Kiwi seamer, KKR can again bid for him during the auctions.