5 players who can guide KKR to glory in IPL 2021

The 14th edition of the IPL is only days away. 8 franchises will vie for the most action-packed T20 league in the world. One of the franchises is Kolkata Knight Riders. The side captained by Eoin Morgan has won the IPL on 2 occasions in the past- 2012 and 2014. The Kolkata franchise struggled in IPL 2020, only managing to finish 5th in the points table. Moreover, they failed to qualify for the playoffs as well. With that in mind, Eoin Morgan and his men will look for a fresh start in IPL 2021. The KKR side definitely has plenty of match-winners in its squad. Here is a list of 5 players who could help KKR win the IPL 2021:

5. Shubman Gill

Shubman Gill was KKR’s highest run-getter in IPL 2020. In 14 matches, Gill amassed a total of 440 runs. Gill also had a decent outing with India recently in the international format. However, one thing Gill needs to work upon is his strike rate. With a strike rate of 117.96, Gill might not be able to sustain the pace of the T20 format. The 21-year-old definitely has the talent to sway the tides in KKR’s favor. A lot is expected from the youngster this season. 

4. Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy added a spark in KKR’s spin bowling department after his inclusion in the playing XI. In 13 games in IPL 2020, Chakravarthy scalped 17 wickets with a superb economy of 6.84. Unfortunately, Chakravarthy missed out on an opportunity to represent his country due to fitness issues. Chakravarthy could be the difference for KKR, with his ability to pick wickets regularly in crucial situations. 

3. Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins was roped in by MI in the recently held IPL 2021 auction. Cummins had an average outing with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2020. Cummins has been in decent form with the Aussies in the international format. The Australian bowler will surely bring with him a ton of experience in the pace bowling department. It will be quite intriguing to see how Cummins performs with KKR in IPL 2021. 

2. Andre Russell

The West Indian all-rounder is arguably one of the most explosive batsmen in the T20 format. On his day, Andre Russell can change the entire complexion of any match. One reason why KKR underperformed last season was because of Andre Russell’s poor form. In 10 matches in IPL 2020, Russell managed to score only 117 runs, which is way lower than this standard. Russell will look to resurrect the form he picked in IPL 2018 when he scored 510 runs and had a superb strike rate of 204.81. 

1. Eoin Morgan

At no 1 is the captain himself Eoin Morgan. After leading his country to victory in the 2019 World Cup, a lot is expected from the KKR captain. Morgan can also fire with the bat on his day. If Morgan manages to utilize his team’s potential, then surely KKR have a chance to win the IPL 2021. 

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