SWOT analysis of Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will enter the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) with the aim of ending a 10-year title drought. KKR, who won the title in 2012 and 2014, were a dominant force in the league but lost their edge at one point. Ahead of the tournament, the franchise grabbed eyeballs for making Mitchell Starc the most expensive player in IPL history. 

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The Aussie pacer was bought for a staggering INR 24.75 crore and it will be interesting to see how he performs in the league after a long break. The likes of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Manish Pandey, Chetan Sakariya and KS Bharat are also their new addition. The return of Shreyas Iyer, who missed last season due to injury, will be a big boost for them. In this article, let's look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of KKR. 

KKR Final Squad for IPL 2024: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer (c), Jason Roy, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, KS Bharat, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, Sakib Hussain.  

Here's a SWOT analysis of Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2024

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Strengths: Formidable batting line-up, exceptional spin unit

Destructive Jason Roy in the opener role, Shreyas Iyer at one down to anchor the innings, Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer to accelerate, Rinku Singh and power-hitter Andre Russell to finish off the things. This could be a nightmare line-up for the opposition bowlers. Even though Sunil Narine has not been at his best with the bat in recent years, he can be dangerous at any time. 

KKR's spin attack has been always their asset. The scenario will be the same this time too. Led by Narine, the unit consists of Varun Chakravarthy, Suyash Sharma and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. 

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Weaknesses: Pace attack is dependent on Mitchell Starc

While KKR's spin attack has never been a concern, their pace bowling has not been consistent over the years. After releasing the likes of Umesh Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, and Tim Southee, this time their department will rely more on Mitchell Starc. Gus Atkinson and Sakariya are new recruits to the role but it remains to be seen if they can contribute well. 

Opportunities: Return of Gautam Gambhir and Shreyas Iyer

Gautam Gambhir, who led KKR to title glory twice, is back in the squad as a mentor. In the last two editions, he associated with Lucknow Super Giants and helped them reach the playoffs. It would be great if the former India cricketer could mentor the boys to win the title. In addition, Shreyas Iyer is also returning as captain. His contribution to decision-making along with batting will be crucial for the team. 

Threats: Andre Russell's poor form 

Andre Russell has played a key role in KKR's excellent run over the years. However, the veteran all-rounder hasn't been at his best with the bat in the last couple of years and that has made a huge impact on the team's overall performance. KKR will be hoping to get their old Russell back in the upcoming season.