IPL 2020: 3 Disappointing buys of KKR in the auction

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were one of the teams to watch out for in the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. The same was because the franchise released a few of their key players, including Robin Uthappa, Piyush Chawla and Chris Lynn. The Men in Gold and Purple went in with a purse of INR 35.65 crores.

In the auction, KKR splurged out a stunning INR 15.5 crores for Pat Cummins. Apart from the Australian speedster, the Knights also went for seven more players in a bid to rebuild their squad. In the end, they were left with a purse of INR 8.50 crores.

However, KKR also included a few players, who have either not played lot of cricket or have been inconsistent. It’s hard to comprehend the buys and the usefulness they can bring to the table in the cash-rich T20 league.

In the article, let’s take a look at three players KKR could’ve avoided buying:-

Nikhil Naik

Nikhil Naik made his IPL debut for the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) back in 2016. He got chances in a couple of matches after which he had to wait until 2019 for his second stint in the T20 tournament. Last season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) roped him in at his base price of INR 20 lakhs.

To his dismay, he was preferred in a solitary match versus the Delhi Capitals (DC) where he could manage only seven. It didn’t spring a surprise that KKR freed him off his services ahead of the auction. But the Knights again brought him back at his base price of INR 20 lakhs.

KKR already has Dinesh Karthik, their skipper, as their specialist keeper for two seasons. The team also has picked Tom Banton, who’s also a keeper. Hence, the Maharashtra-born is likely to warm the bench for a chunk of the tournament.