The Kolkata Knight Riders since the time that they won two seasons of the Indian Premier League within a span of 3 years, a dry run has taken over their exploits which their captain Eoin Morgan would be looking to end it this season with some new faces coming into their team and the older ones being in good form. So, here’s a look at the 4 overseas players that they would be including in their playing XI.
Andre Russell
The big hitter from the Caribbean, Andre Russell, has been the backbone of the Kolkata Knight Riders since the day he has joined the team. His exploits with both the bat and the ball in hand have set many records and have broken many that had already been set in the past by some icons of the tournament.
Going into the IPL 2021 auction, it was nothing but natural from the team to have retained him and have him in the squad for the upcoming season, where they would definitely need his help to get to their goal of winning the tournament this season. Russell on his end too would want to give his best for the team and entertain the crowds with his efficient bowling and explosive batting skills.
Sunil Narine
Coming in from the same region as the previous entrant in this list, Sunil Narine is another player who now is an icon of the team and is a part of their core of players, which I don’t think the team would want to leave out of the playing XI until and unless he is fit to play and can wield either a bat and a ball in his hands and win matches for his team.
A match-winner in the truest sense, Narine in the last few seasons of the tournament has also added the skill of batting to his forte meaning that a bowler whose wicket is probably worth not that much can go up on top and open the innings with the wildest of swings. Narine’s contributions would be crucial to Kolkata’s run in this tournament, and they would have to ensure that he retains his form throughout the tournament.
Pat Cummins
The tall Aussie pacer, Pat Cummins was Kolkata’s trump card last season, as they picked him up for an insane amount of money last season, but their move did not work out their way, most probably because the tournament had to move to the UAE, the Kolkata management had formed their team according to the Indian playing conditions.
So, as the Indian Premier League is all set to be held in India this year, Pat Cummins would be one player that the team management would have their hopes pinned on. The burden on the shoulders of Cummins would also be high because the team has decided to retain him for this season, expecting some big performances from him in the tournament.
Eoin Morgan
The World Cup-winning captain, who was given the duty to lead the Kolkata based franchise, halfway through the last season of the Indian Premier League, which was held in the UAE and turned out to be not that good for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Eoin Morgan, this season with his own performance and the excellent leadership skills would be looking to turn the tables in IPL 2021.
The Englishman has shown his prowess with the bat in the shorter formats of the game of cricket and given the fact that he would be playing in India ahead of the tournament, for the England cricket team, would mean that he would have familiarized himself as he goes into this edition of the Indian Premier League.
