Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) turned out to be the talking point of Tuesday’s IPL 2024 auction with their catch of Mitchell Starc, for whom they shelled out Rs 24.75 crore but would probably have paid even more had Gujarat Titans not withdrawn from the hectic bidding for the Australian quick.
The Knights though were initially not in the race for Starc but once they entered the bidding, they were determined.
Starc’s inclusion should come as a boost to their pace attack, at least on paper. An inconsistent fast bowling group was a key reason for KKR’s disappointing show last year.
But does the arrival of one big-stature player sort out all the problems of a team? History doesn’t agree with that. Also, the T20 format is tricky and uncertain in the first place, while Starc has had his issues with injuries in the past that shortened his stay in the IPL.
At 33, the left-arm Australia speedster isn’t getting any younger. So, the others too need to step up if the Knight Riders are to keep their campaign alive past the league phase of next year’s IPL.
From their buys during Tuesday’s auction at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai, it’s evident the Knight Riders have laid more emphasis on strengthening their fast bowling resources. Apart from superstar Starc, they have roped in 25-year-old fast medium Gus Atkinson (Rs 1 crore), who’s busy with England’s T20I leg of their West Indies tour at present, Windies all-rounder Sherfane Rutherford (Rs 1.5 crore), left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya (Rs 50 lakh) and 19-year-old Sakib Hussain (Rs 20 lakh) from Bihar, who has so far played only two T20s.
Rutherford isn’t new to the IPL though, having been a part of Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. His stats, in the 10 matches he has played so far during his stints in 2019 and 2022, don’t look too impressive, but the 25-year-old hasn’t fared too badly of late in his recent white-ball appearances against England.
Atkinson, one of the names getting a team towards the end of the auction, is billed as one of England’s go-to quicks of the future. Even if he goes for a few runs, the six-footer is quite capable of taking wickets when needed.
From the outside, the Knights’ decision to go for Sakariya, who hasn’t had any game-time this season due to a back stress fracture, may appear unwise. The Saurashtra left-armer, however, is quite confident of recovering and being fully fit by the time the IPL begins.
What’s also good news for both KKR and Sakariya is that his bowling action, which was deemed suspect earlier, has been cleared. “I’m undergoing rehab at the NCA (National Cricket Academy in Bangalore) at present and believe I’ll be fully fit by the time the
IPL begins.
“My aim is to make sure I fit into KKR’s XI in as
many games as possible. I hope I’ll be able to do my peak bowling by then.
“Also, my bowling action is absolutely okay and has been cleared. There was a mistake (on the part of the BCCI)
earlier, and that has been corrected,” Sakariya told The Telegraph.
Sakariya featured in just two games in the previous edition of the IPL for Delhi Capitals. This time around, he hopes to finish with better figures, banking on the inputs he expects from Starc.
“Obviously, it will be a big advantage for me and the other pacers to share the dressing room with someone like Mitchell Starc. I do believe I’ll learn from him, especially how he prepares, because preparation is something that the Australian players never compromise with,” Sakariya said.
KKR have also picked up 18-year-old Mumbai batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi (Rs 20 lakh), and the big-hitting former Mumbai Indians batsman Ramandeep Singh (Rs 20 lakh). Towards the end, the Knights got Manish Pandey (Rs 50 lakh) back in their line-up after he remained unsold earlier, while they also took Afghanistan off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Rs 2 crore).
If Pandey, the first Indian to score an IPL ton, in 2009, can do justice to his ability, it would be a big help to the two-time champions.
