Kolkata Team in Indian T20 League 2022

By Vivek Krishnan

After struggling in the early editions of the Indian T20 League, Kolkata resurrected their fortunes by winning the title in 2012 and 2014. Last year, at the halfway stage, Kolkata were languishing at the bottom of the points table. However, under the leadership of Eoin Morgan, the two-time champions won seven out of nine games, enroute to the finals in the United Arab Emirates. Although their winning juggernaut was halted by eventual winners Chennai, Kolkata left an indelible mark on the tournament.

Post the retention of Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, and Venkatesh Iyer, the Kolkata management also went hammer and tongs in search of Shreyas Iyer, who will now lead the side in 2022.

Game Changers
Much of Kolkata’s success over the years has to be ascribed to the all-round brilliance of Russell and Narine. The West Indian duo have been an integral part of the franchise since their early Indian T20 League days. While these two all-rounders can be inconsistent, they are also capable of winning games single-handedly. Looking ahead into the new season, Kolkata would want Russell and Narine to stay fit and injury-free.

Key Contributors
Venkatesh’s consistent performance at the top proved to be a huge bonus for Kolkata in 2021. The southpaw scored 370 runs at 41.11, including four half-centuries. Although he batted in the middle-order for India recently, Venkatesh should be back to open the innings in the Indian T20 League.
After missing out on the second phase of the tournament in 2021, Pat Cummins will continue to spearhead the seam attack for Kolkata in the upcoming edition. The Aussie pacer might not be available for the first few games, but that is unlikely to have a big impact on Kolkata’s game plan.

Newcomers
While Shreyas might have every reason to feel let down by Delhi for not retaining him,he will be thankful to Kolkata for entrusting him with the captaincy responsibility. His recent purple patch in white-ball cricket further augurs well for the 2021 finalists. Going by his recent interview, Shreyas should bat at No.3.

The withdrawal of Alex Hales might open the window for Sam Billings. The English wicketkeeper-batter might play in the middle-order and also don the gloves. With England unlikely to call him for their initial part of summer, Billings should be available to play the entire tournament.

Strengths
Kolkata have done well to retain their core. Out of the current roster of 22 players, 10 were already a part of the 2021 edition. Furthermore, 7 out of 10 are also certain to be a part of the playing XI for most games.

Historically, Kolkata have always thrived on their spinners. In fact, it was the spinners, especially at the Eden Gardens, that proved instrumental during their title reign in 2012 and 2014. Going into the new season, Kolkata will be delighted to have the services of Narine and Chakravarthy. The spinduo finished with 34 wickets between them in 2021.

Weaknesses
Unless Nitish Rana is asked to open the batting, Kolkata are likely to face problems at the top. Although Aaron Finch has been roped in as a replacement for Alex Hales, the Australian skipper’s inconsistency in T20 cricket could become a matter of concern.

Quick bowling too is likely to be a concern for Kolkata. Other than Shivam Mavi, it is difficult to see Cummins and Tim Southee get much support from the Indian seamers. While Umesh Yadav was included at the very last stages of the auction, his Indian T20 League credentials aren’t impressive.

Final Word
Not only have the Kolkata think tank managed to create a formidable team but also the leadership of Shreyas augurs well for them. With his tactical captaincy and batting, the 28-year-old took Delhi to the playoffs in 2019 and the final in 2020. If Kolkata’s core members can stay fit and perform as per expectations, the two-time champions are going to be a tough unit to beat.