KKR was a star-studded team right from the start of the first IPL season in 2008 with players like Brendon McCullum, Shoaib Akhtar, Ricky Pointing, and of course the ‘Prince of Kolkata’, Sourav Ganguly leading the side.

But things didn’t go well for them as they failed to enter the playoffs in the first three seasons. Then Sourav Ganguly was released from the team and Gautam Gambhir was handed over the captaincy in the 2011 season and Kolkata just flourished under him by winning two titles.

But when Gambhir moved out of KKR after the 2017 season, the team struggled to find a good replacement for the skipper’s spot. Under Dinesh Karthik, they did good in the 2018 edition but it didn’t work out so well in the following seasons. And then KKR just struggled and struggled with their new captain, Eoin Morgan. And now, they are probably going to change their captain for the 2022 edition. So, here are-

5 Probable skippers KKR can look for in 2022 IPL

1. Suryakumar Yadav

The former KKR player can be a good buy for the Knights in the 2022 season as a captain’s material. He was the vice-captain for them earlier too. But the Kolkata’s management made a poor decision by releasing him in 2018.

But he can be a great asset for them now. It’s going to be difficult for Mumbai Indians to retain him back in the side as they already have star players to be retained. It is possible that Surya might get into the auction. He has performed as a very valuable asset for the Mumbai Indians in recent years. He mostly plays orthodox shots and now getting included into the Indian side might have definitely given him good confidence.

Yadav has good experience of the domestic circuit and he also captains Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. From Kolkata’s point of view, he can be a responsible batsman as well as a good captaincy material.

2. Jason Holder

Jason Holder might be a surprising pick here but he is one of the underrated players in the league. He never gains limelight for his performances but he is a really good all-rounder.

The former West Indies skipper proved to be a very important player for SRH. He can bowl in the death overs and becomes a good batsman for the team at times as well.

He was also the captain for West Indies and the team did quite well under him so he has got good captaincy experience. He even played for Chennai Super Kings earlier in the tournament. It is a possibility that Hyderabad might release him and he can be a good buy for KKR both as a player and as a captain.

3. Manish Pandey

Again a former KKR player, Manish Pandey can be a good buy for the Knights in the auctions as a captain. He performed well for Hyderabad by scoring some runs but the only concern was his strike rate. He was criticized a lot by the fans for his low strike rate in the death overs.

But he is a good batsman in the middle overs in the T20 format. Kolkata desperately needs a player to bat responsibly in the middle overs and Pandey is someone who can fill that spot for them.

He even captains the Karnataka team successfully. So his wonders with his cricketing brain in the domestic cricket might work in the IPL too. In short, he can be a good asset for Kolkata Knight Riders both as a player and a captain.

2. Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch went unsold for the IPL 2021 but no doubt he is a really good captain. He captains Australia very well in the limited-overs format. The only concern with Finch is that he is not someone who plays a crucial role for the team with the bat.

But he is a good T20 batsman because he can score runs in the powerplay. But he is more important to a team as a captain. He maintains a positive mindset for the team which Kolkata is really lacking right now after a bad season.

Even as an individual batsman, he can give Shubman Gill some time and score runs with a good strike rate at the start of the innings. So with a lot of experience of captaincy and being a good opener, he can be a good fit in the KKR team.

1. Steve Smith

Steve Smith was someone who definitely should be a part of this list. He was with Rajasthan Royals for a long time and then went to Delhi Capitals, but he is not so important for them as a batsman. But he can be a huge asset for Kolkata Knight Riders.

He was the captain of the Australian team before the ‘Sandpaper Gate’ controversy. He successfully led his national strong side. Smith has got the Australian fire in him. He has got a very good cricketing brain. He is not so good in the T20 format, but he has the ability to keep rotating the strike with his unique technique. He can also hit some boundaries for the team once he gets settled.

So for Kolkata, there is no better option than buying Steve Smith in the auctions and using him as a valuable asset in the middle order and also as a captain. Smith is the best fit for KKR not only for the 2022 season but also for the future of the franchise.

-Written by Rudraksh Vora