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The Knight Riders franchise couldn't have expected a more unpredictable roller-coaster than the 2024 season. It started with the most brilliant win in the IPL, with the Kolkata-based team rocking the group stage and cantering to a historic thumping in the final.
But then, Los Angeles Knight Riders crashed out of Major League Cricket 2024 early, finishing second from the bottom in the group stage with just two wins in seven matches, despite boasting a good team. Fate of two more teams is left to be decided: Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) in the Caribbean Premier League and the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the International League T20.
The latter will be played close to the end of the year. But the former begin their campaign on Sunday against the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. Below are three reasons why we think they are favorites to win the title again:
#3 Probably the best West Indies core
TKR's first playing 11 of the season could include the full quadrant of legendary West Indian all-rounders who formed the pillars of IPL's three biggest teams: Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and DJ Bravo. That's how good this team's core is.
Add to it two of the best West Indian players from the 2024 T20 World Cup - Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein - and the strength becomes jaw-dropping. On the basis of the sheer experience and quality, this team looks reminiscent of some of the best Chennai Super Kings (CSK) teams in the IPL.
Betting on this much experience is a proven strategy in leagues around the world because you can just trust the players to have an answer to every situation. The all-rounders give so much balance and depth to the team that if they click, TKR won't need much contributions from the overseas players.
It also makes them almost pressure proof. The capitulation of the 2023 final was a big abberation after a brilliant campaign and if TKR reach that stage again, you can back at least one of the four, or Pooran, to come strong and put up a winning show.
Finally, this might be one of their last seasons together and there would probably the lingering feelings of revenge from last year -- there's a lot positive energy and the need to prove some things which can only push the team forward.
#2 Players have been in rocking good form
TKR's squad screams form. Even if you ignore the local core, the likes of Ali Khan, Jason Roy and Andries Gous have been in excellent rhythm recently.
Khan has bowled economically throughout 2024 and has nine wickets in the last nine T20s around the world. Roy did decently well at the MLC before looking in good touch at the T20 Blast in England.
Gous will have the big responsibility of holding the middle-order and playing anchor in a team of hard-hitters. He scored a 26-ball 43 in his most recent game for the USA against the Netherlands, only days after his unbeaten, match-winning 58(49) in the Global T20 Canada final.
Pollard and Russell have come up with the occasional vintage performance while maintaining a decent standard throughout. Russell, especially, was stunning in the death overs in the IPL with the ball.
Pooran has simply scored runs wherever he has gone in 2024 and there's no reason why he can't continue that here for a potentially Player of the Tournament performance.
#1 Spinners who won't give runs
The T20 World Cup in the Caribbean only solidified a point we have known for long: spinners not conceding runs is absolutely key in T20s here. If your spinners can consistently rack up dot balls on the slow and often turning tracks when almost every opposition player is excellent against spin, your chances get much, much better.
With economy rates of less than 7 in the last CPL, Narine and Hosein are simply the best in business. TKR's wicket-taking aggression lies in their fast-bowlers and they have supplemented themselves with eight overs (sometimes three in the powerplay from Hosein) which would almost never leak surplus runs.
Then there's the additional X-factor of Waqar Salamkheil, the Afghan left-arm spinner, who was TKR's joint-highest wicket-taker last season. Even he had a brilliant economy rate last season but he should enjoy more cushion to attack this year.
It looks a lot like KKR's combination at the IPL where the team enjoyed a spread of wickets across the attack, making the team balanced and dominating. TKR have the right recipe of success and now it's all on execution for their potential fourth title.
