Kolkata Knight Riders have a massive task at hand when they head into the IPL 2023 Mini Auction on December 23 in Kochi. The two-time champions were pretty active in the trade window as they signed players like Shardul Thakur and the Gujarat Titans’ duo of Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Their transfer activity during the trade window was more than just a pinch on the purse as they are left with just Rs 7 crore, the lowest among all the teams. It is safe to say that they have players who can make a potent XI but their vulnerability will be exposed should any of the first-choice players suffer injuries. IPL 2023 Auction: KKR Would Go For an Indian Wicketkeeper; CSK Will Look For the Likes of Sam Curran, Says Robin Uthappa.

KKR fans would have been eager to have players like Ben Stokes, Sam Curran and also Cameron Green in their ranks but their low purse leaves them with a very high chance of being beaten by other teams when it comes to bidding wars. They have 14 players at the moment in their squad and they need to utilize their remaining purse to not just fill the slots but also ensure they have replacements for some of the first-choice players. Ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction, let us take a look at five players who KKR can target and acquire:

1) Mayank Agarwal: Mayank Agarwal is one of the players whom the Knight Riders can target at the auction. Released by Punjab Kings, the right-hander will easily be one of the players who many teams will eye at the auction. Why KKR might be interested in him because he can open the innings and provide some stability at the top of the order, an area where the Knights struggled big time last season. Mayank Agarwal can open alongside the newly acquired Rahmanullah Gurbaz and get the team off to quick starts in the powerplay. But he is expected to not be easily acquired by the Men in Purple with other teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad, potentially going for him.

2) N Jagadeesan: An area which KKR need to work on at the auction is acquiring an Indian wicketkeeper batter and N Jagadeesan can be just the guy they can go after. Released by Chennai Super Kings, the Tamil Nadu player had a great Vijay Hazare Trophy for his state and will be garnering interest at the auction. He can be pretty handy in the middle order as well.

3) KS Bharat: He is another very good option, not just for an Indian wicketkeeper batter, but also an opener, a role for which KKR need good players for going ahead into the next season. Bharat had a decent IPL career so far and did well in the opportunities he had got at the top of the order for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He was signed by Delhi Capitals at the 2022 mega auction but did not get many opportunities with them. Now released, KKR might just be the team he needs to play regular cricket and show his talent.

4) David Wiese/Daryl Mitchell: The Shreyas Iyer-led side will be looking for a death overs specialist and a player who can be a replacement for the mercurial Andre Russell. The West Indies all-rounder was easily one of KKR’s best performers last season and will look to carry on this time in the same manner as well. But given his history with injuries, KKR might look for someone like David Wiese or a Daryl Mitchell (released by Rajasthan Royals), who can hit the big shots and also chip in with some overs at the death. Women's IPL Will Be Next Frontier For the Women's Game, Says Australia All-Rounder Ellyse Perry.

5) Shakib Al Hasan: KKR might look to one of their former stars to bolster their line-up ahead of the new season in 2023. The Bangladesh all-rounder’s capabilities are second to not many around the world and could provide the Knight Riders with decent options with both bat and ball. Given the fact that KKR struggled in the spin department after Varun Chakaravarthy’s inconsistent performances, Shakib can be a good partner to the ever-dependent Sunil Narine to provide success with spin.

Having said that, there are many more names that the former champions might be after at the auction on December 23. As mentioned before, their main challenge is to accommodate good and quality signings with a limited purse and the lowest among all the teams going into the event in Kochi. With a coach like Chandrakant Pandit, expect KKR to rely on domestic talent to fill their slots. They also can explore young talent from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2022 10:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).