IPL Betting: Kolkata Knight Riders

Indian Premier League - IPL / Andrew Hughes / 08 March 2010 /

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A rare happy moment for Kolkata's owner

"The appointment of Dav Whatmore as coach is a positive and he and Ganguly should ensure that Kolkata are better prepared and more able to cope with pressure situations this time round"

They are the team with the most memorable name and the best uniform, but so far Shahrukh Khan's superstars have been the IPL laughing stock. Andrew Hughes asks whether we can expect more from Kolkata in IPL 2010

Performance Last Year

It is difficult to imagine a worse campaign than that of the Knight Riders in 2009. They lost their first 11 games and at one stage looked as though they'd end up without a win. They spent the entire tournament rooted to the foot of the table. Coach John Buchanan seemed to take much of the blame, his preferred captain Brendon McCullum floundered in the role, whilst rumours of dressing room unrest and even racism were flung about.

Players In/Out

Kolkata have been busy in the transfer market. Veteran New Zealand pace bowler Shane Bond was the big money signing from the player auction, but they have also drafted in Owais Shah and talented Indian batsman Manoj Tiwary. They have also signed up four uncapped Indian players, including one of the best young domestic batsmen, Cheteshwar Pujara and another of the Under 19 squad, Harpreet Singh. Ricky Ponting, Moises Henriques and South African Morne Van Wyck have been eased out.

Player Availability

Chris Gayle (after 14/03)
Brendon McCullum (after 31/03)

Captain

The enigmatic Sourav Ganguly is once more restored to the captaincy

Key Player

Shane Bond was bought to spearhead the bowling attack and it is vital for the Knight Riders that he has a good tournament. He should wreak havoc on the helpful pitches at Eden Gardens.

Strengths

The appointment of Dav Whatmore as coach is a positive and he and Ganguly should ensure that Kolkata are better prepared and more able to cope with pressure situations this time round. And in Gayle, McCullum, Hodge and Bond, they have four of the best Twenty20 players in the world.

Weaknesses

As with Bangalore, the number of overseas options could give Kolkata a few problems. They are likely to want to play the four stars named above, which means that Ajantha Mendis could be in for another frustrating tournament on the bench. The bowling, in particular, could suffer and it pretty much all depends on Bond.

Prospects

The only way is up and under a new coach and an experienced captain, we should not expect a repeat of last year's horror show. Even so, they lack the balance and strength in depth, particularly in the bowling department, to go all the way. Odds of [8.6] in the winners market are about right and a season of steady improvement is the best they can hope for.

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