With the remainder of the IPL 2021 season all set to be played later this year, and the next year’s auction all set to happen soon, when talking in cricket standard time, the teams must already be on the drawing board, chalking out plans for the team’s strategy on the auction floor. One such side will be the two-time champions, who are in search of a newfound fire in the team, the Kolkata Knight Riders. Here’s a look at the 4 players KKR should retain in IPL 2022.
1. Sunil Narine
One of the veteran knights, Sunil Narine is one such player whom the Kolkata Knight Riders should retain going into the 2022 season of the Indian Premier League. He has been with the team through the years, and it has been his battleground where anyone coming close to a win against his team, more often than not has been annihilated by Narine, either with the ball or more recently, with the bat in hand.
It’s not all the reasons, though, making the case for Narine’s retention in the KKR squad. His numbers with the team speak for themselves. Having played in 124 games in the IPL, he has taken 130 wickets and scored 902 runs too. In addition to all of this is his ability to come out of the cold and get up and running, lethally.
2. Lockie Fergusson
Of the two overseas full-time pacers that the Kolkata Knight Riders have in their camp right now, Lockie Fergusson is the one whom, the team management should stick around with. His competitor for a spot in the team, Pat Cummins, hasn’t been able to deliver the worth of his money at the moment, and the price tag that comes along makes him a tough player to retain. KKR may use the Right To Match card for him, though, come the chance to pick him up at a relatively lesser price.
For Lockie Ferguson, though, the stars have aligned in the best way that they could. Off late, has been in good touch with the ball in hand, both in international matches and other tournaments that he has been playing in. Adding to that is the utility that he has been providing as a pacer in the side, with his lethal pace and pinpoint accuracy with the ball in hand, which makes him one of the players KKR should retain in IPL 2022.
3. Shubman Gill
The newfound star child of the Indian cricket team, Shubman Gill, is one of the two Indian players KKR should retain in IPL 2022. Shubman, in his time with both KKR and the Indian team, has shown what he is made up of and his performances speak for themselves.
The 21-year-old batsman has played in 48 matches so far and has to his name a total of 1,071 runs in total, which have come at an average of 30.6. In the World Test Championship Finals, he looked to be in good touch with the bat and showed great resilience while facing the New Zealand bowling line-up in conditions that favoured them. When all of this is put together with the fact that he, at this point, is a seasoned player who knows the insides of the team, could be a great value to the team’s balance of experience.
4. Varun Chakravarthy
Coming fresh out of a relatively successful season of IPL, which came to an abrupt end, Varun Chakravarthy resumed his fairy tale-esque run in his cricket career, as he got a call-up for the Indian team too. And, given all of these developments and the management of KKR, he is very well a part of a lot of players KKR should retain in IPL 2022.
In the limited number of games, he was the second most successful bowler of the team, with 8 wickets to his name. Another thing that would be work in his favour is that going into IPL 2022, he would have enough international experience behind his back that could help him hold his nerves better, helping him make the most of the chances that come his way.
