Consistency, spin vital to Kolkata Knight Riders' campaign

OUTLOOK

In the Indian Premier League (IPL), three sides have established themselves as the power houses of the yearly event. Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders share six titles (two each) between them in eight editions played so far. While Chennai will have to wait for two years in exile, Mumbai and Kolkata have the opportunity to become the first side to claim three titles. Rohit Sharma's Mumbai team will enter the competition as the defending champions and one of the favourites but the Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata side will be more eager than ever to get back to winning ways after missing out on a playoff spot last season.

Kolkata have lost Trevor Bayliss to England but have roped in Jacques Kallis as head coach. The former South African all rounder familiarity with the conditions, the tournament and the squad will hold the Knight Riders in good stead.

PREVIOUS IPL STANDINGS

2008 - Sixth, 2009 - Eighth, 2010 - Sixth, 2011 - Fourth, 2012 - Champions, 2013 - Seventh, 2014 - Champions, 2015 - Fifth

KEY POINTS

Openers key: The early impetus provided by openers Robin Uthappa and Gambhir will go a long way in setting the tone for Knight Riders' season. They will be expected to lay solid platforms for the expressive middle-order. In 2014, when Kolkata clinched their second IPL title, Uthappa emerges as the highest run-getter with Gambhir playing second fiddle to perfection. With the likes of Andre Russell, Suryakumar Yadav, Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey to bat after them, the batting unit looks formidable.

Spin, spin and more spin: If the previous season was anything to go by, the Kolkata track during the IPL will predominantly be low and slow, and assist the spinners. Kolkata boast of spin riches, with overseas triumvirate of Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and Brad Hogg complementing Indian tweakers such as Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav and part-timer Yusuf Pathan. They are bound to have a major say in the way this tournament tilts.

Andre Russell: The West Indies allrounder won the Big Bash title earlier this year with Sydney Thunder, was part of the World T20-winning team and, like last year, will be another vital cog in Kolkata's wheel. His sheer ability to clear the ground and the knack of bowling a few useful overs in the middle makes him a valuable asset in a tournament like IPL.

Strength: Kolkata's core remains the same. Individuals over the previous editions have gelled well and the fact that they understand each other's strengths and weaknesses helps them perform as a unit. The think-tank did well to appoint Kallis as coach.

Weakness: Narine's absence early on does take the sting off Kolkata's spin department but Hogg came up with stellar performances last year. The pace department could also be a cause of concern for the think-tank. Morne Morkel and Russell are capable of countering batting line-ups well, but Umesh Yadav, at times, has been guilty of erratic bowling and has leaked a lot of runs in previous editions. Jaydev Unadkat, who joined the squad this season, proved his worth in the Ranji Trophy last season, and the captain and coach will be tempted to give him a go as well.

SPOTLIGHT'S ON

Manish Pandey: The Karnataka batsman has been on the fringes of the Indian team for quite some time now and has grabbed every opportunity with both hands. Kolkata's No. 4 has the array of shots needed to propel the team in the middle overs and solid performances could ensure he gets an extended run in the national side.

Gautam Gambhir: The Kolkata captain hasn't been able to convert his scores into big one in the domestic tournament. Scores of 13, 6, 0, 9, 4, 10, 38, 18 and 10 in his last nine T20 innings paint a sordid picture. However, Gambhir is a tenacious character and will be keen to lift his team with good performances with the bat.

WHAT THEY SAID

"We are a very well-balanced unit. We have great options which makes selection tough. Few new faces, which will give us a few new ideas and options. It is going to be exciting, we are looking forward to it. We have had a lot of practices so far. Sometimes coming in fresh is good. You need to take a break away from the game, come again and start back fresh. He (Gambhir) is certainly very positive. Hope to have a good season with him leading from the front. He is hitting the ball well at the moment." - Kallis, head coach, said.

STATS

- Ten consecutive wins in the 2014-15 season by Kolkata is the longest winning streak a team had in IPL

- Among batsmen with at least 125 balls faced, Russell has the highest strike rate of all - 177.88 in 17 innings.

- Kolkata has the highest win percentage in IPL knockout matches - 66.67%.

- Kolkata spent the least during the 2016 IPL auction - 5.7 crores and bought the least number of players - 7.

SQUAD

Gautam Gambhir (capt), Manish Pandey, Robin Uthappa, Chris Lynn, Suryakumar Yadav, Colin Munro, Andre Russell, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, John Hastings, Jason Holder, R Sathish, Manan Sharma, Sheldon Jackson, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Brad Hogg, Morne Morkel, Sunil Narine, Jaydev Unadkat, Ankit Rajpoot.