IPL 2019: 5 Reasons why KKR can win the tournament

The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is nearing the halfway stage and the points table has shaped up interestingly. While Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been the standout performers, three other teams are tied on eight points and two others on six. However, if there is one team other than CSK who has dominated this IPL, it has to be the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The Dinesh Karthik-led franchise has been in some really good form this season. Despite being down and out at times, they have found a way to come out and win the game from the precarious position. With four wins out of six games, KKR lie at the second position of the points table.

Their two losses have come against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In fact, their loss against Delhi came in a Super Over and the result might’ve gone either side. The game against CSK was the only one in which they were outplayed. That came on a very sluggish surface as well. But that aside, KKR have been on a roll in this tournament.

Hence, as we head to the halfway stage of this IPL, let’s look at five reasons why KKR will lift the 2019 IPL title.

#1 The Dre-Russ Factor

Andre Russell has been one of the biggest reasons for KKR’s success so far. He’s been the game-changer and the match-winner, turning games single-handedly. The hard-hitting Jamaican all-rounder has often proved to be the difference between KKR and the other teams.

In this season, Russell has produced match-winning efforts in almost every game. It’s largely been with the bat but he has brought KKR out of the dumps on multiple occasions. He has had scored of 49 not out, 48, 62, 48 not out and 50 not out (latest) in the five innings he’s batted. The 30-year-old has a strike-rate of 212.39 in this IPL. In fact, he has a career IPL strike-rate of 184.10 which is the highest by any batsman in the history of the IPL. In a couple of games (against SRH and RCB), he helped KKR chase down 53 in the last three overs. He also struck a fifty on a tough pitch at the Chepauk against CSK.

We talk about Russell, the batsman but Russell, the bowler has done well too. In fact, he’s the highest wicket-taker of KKR this season despite not bowling much. KKR have tried to manage his bowling workload as he has been injury-prone.

Hence, the Russell factor is one of the biggest reasons why KKR are a huge threat this season. He has shown he can turn games single-handedly and he has shown it as well.

#2 Strong batting line-up

KKR have a strong and settled batting line-up. Andre Russell has stolen the limelight but the other batsmen have set it up for him as well. Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine form a potent and dynamic opening duo. Lynn has blown hot and cold but has shown signs of returning to his best in the last few games. Narine is the enforcer at the top who has given KKR flying starts.

Meanwhile, Robin Uthappa and Nitish Rana have held the middle-order nicely. Batting at 3 and 4, they have tended to control the game and set it up for the finishers. Dinesh Karthik hasn’t really fired this season but has turned into a reliable finisher over the last 18 months or so. Moreover, Shubman Gill hasn’t really got an opportunity so far in this season.

Hence, the KKR batting line-up wears a solid look that can post and hunt down big totals.

#3 Not a lot of chopping and changing

Continuity and consistency are pretty important in any sport. KKR follow that principle pretty strongly as far as the playing XI is concerned. In this IPL, they have played six games and they have used just 13 players, which means that there have been just two replacements across all games.

In fact, one of them was a forced change as well. Sunil Narine had to sit out due to a niggle and KKR played just three overseas players as they roped in Nikhil Naik to open the batting alongside Chris Lynn. The other change has been the inclusion of Harry Gurney. Lockie Ferguson played the first four games but was pretty expensive. Hence, Gurney replaced the New Zealand quick in the last couple of games.

Thus, KKR have been very consistent with their players and the playing XI. This holds them in good stead as the tournament goes along.

 #4 Good spin attack

If you take a look at KKR’s squad for this year’s IPL, you might not find any renowned pacer. But there’s no dearth of the quality of spinners in that line-up. Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla and Kuldeep Yadav are one of the best trios you will find in this tournament.

Narine has the ability to squeeze the runs and pick wickets at any stage. Piyush Chawla has been a very underrated IPL bowler. In fact, he is third on the all-time IPL wicket-takers list. He has been a vital cog this season as he has taken the new ball more often than not. Meanwhile, Kuldeep has become India’s premier white-ball spinner and has bamboozled multiple batting line-ups in the world.

However, they haven’t really fired this season but the class and experience will come in handy as we move towards the business end of the tournament.

#5 Smart skipper in Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik can be termed as a very underrated skipper. Despite his experience, he hardly got to lead an IPL side before 2018. However, his move to KKR saw him ascend to the captaincy throne. Since then, he has proved that he is a pretty smart customer when it comes to leading and marshalling his troops on the field.

Last year, under Karthik’s leadership KKR went to the playoffs, as they finished third, losing the second qualifier. He has continued to lead them well this year as they stand at the second place on the points table. The Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper has been quite astute with his tactics on the field. He has shown good trust in most of his team members and the results are coming along nicely as well.

Also, he has started to take a lot more responsibility with the bat as well. Last year, he amassed 498 runs at an average of 49.80 and a strike-rate of 147.77 which is his second-best IPL season as a batsman after 2018. Hence, Karthik as a leader has done well both with the bat and with the team as well.

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