The first half of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 was suspended due to the Covid-19 spread. However, now it is all set to resume from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on July 25 announced the schedule of the second phase of IPL 2021.
The two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will begin their campaign against Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore on September 20 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
The IPL 2021 first phase was a forgettable one for the KKR franchise as they managed to win only 2 games out of 7. Also, the Eoin Morgan-led side was placed at the number 7 spot in the rankings. They will be looking forward to a different outcome once they enter UAE for the second phase of IPL 2021. Notably, Star Australian pacer Pat Cummins won’t be providing his services and KKR has roped Tim Southee as his replacement for the season.
In the IPL 2020 which took place in UAE, Kolkata Knight Riders failed to qualify as they were placed at the 5th spot with the same point (14) as the number 3rd and 4th team. They missed the qualification solely based on the run rate. However, they will be hoping for different results this time.
The mission finally has a date of resumption 👊🏽
The Knights are back in action on September 20! 🗓️#IPL2021 #KKR #IPLFixtures pic.twitter.com/aoAaUGgx9v
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) July 25, 2021
Let’s have a look at 3 KKR players who can dominate the UAE Leg of IPL 2021
Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine has been the leader of Kolkata’s bowling attack for a long time now. Team KKR has shown a lot of faith in the mystery spinner and he has been provided slots in playing XI regularly. Although he has been not as effective as he used to be still he is extremely talented. When he was forced to change his action, Narine worked a lot on his batting skills and improved it a lot. Meanwhile, he was even provided the opening slot by the team.
The IPL 2021 India leg was a mediocre one for Sunil Narine. As he played 4 matches scoring 10 runs and picking 4 wickets. However, things are expected to change once he enters UAE. As UAE pitches provide a lot of support to spinners and Narine can utilize his skills to outshine batsmen by getting some support from the surface. He will be a player to watch out for from the KKR team.
Andre Russell
The powerhouse Andre Russell is one of the best all-rounders to play in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is an impactful hard-hitting batter and a wicket-taking bowler. With his all-around skills, Russell can change the game in favor of his team in just few overs. Russell has been one of the most beneficial investments made by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in IPL history.
In 7 IPL 2021, India leg games Andre Russell managed to score 163 runs with the bat. He also picked 7 wickets which included a remarkable 5-wicket haul. Also recently in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2021 match he created the record by smashing the fastest half-century in the history of the tournament.
As he scored an unbeaten 50 in 14 balls in the Jamaica Tallawahs vs St. Lucia Kings encounter. He will enter in IPL 2021 with a red hot form and he can turn out to be a big positive for KKR.
Varun Chakravarthy
It’s always good to have a mystery spinner in the team. However always there has been a scarcity of mystery spinners in the Indian Premier League ( IPL). However, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are blessed to have two of them one is West Indian Sunil Narine and the other one is Indian Varun Chakravarthy.
In the IPL 2021, he played 7 games for Kolkata Knight Riders and bagged 7 wickets. Meanwhile, When last time he played in UAE pitches he turned out to be a nightmare for batsmen of the opposition unit. Varun Chakravarthy picked brilliant 17 wickets for KKR at an average of 20.94 and an economy of 6.84. Also, he took an exceptional-looking 5-wicket haul against IPL 2020 finalist Delhi Capitals(DC). In the IPL 2021 UAE, he can surely be a dominating force.
