May I Help U?

When Shah Rukh Khan - who is arguably India's biggest Bollywood star - bought the Kolkata Knight Riders, he would have never imagined in his wildest dreams that his side would fare so badly in the first two editions of the IPL. They were hurt in the first edition of the mega-event by their lack of firepower in batting, with McCullum and Gayle (due to an injury) both not taking part in the later stages of the tournament, and were beset by controversies in the second edition: coach John Buchanan's multiple captaincy theory, the Fake IPL player saga that purported to expose the inner secrets of the team, and an inability to finish out close matches. They lost five matches in the last over, and mid-way through the tournament, owner Shah Rukh Khan left the team to fly back to India.

A year later, KKR have a more settled look to their side with Dav Whatmore taking over the reins of the side after Buchanan was given the boot. There are no multiple captains either, with Sourav Ganguly named captain for the whole tournament. With Chris Gayle available for almost the entire tournament, it gives them the explosive package that they sorely missed in the first two editions. It will be an ideal opportunity for youngsters such as Cheteshwar Pujara and Ganapathi Vignesh - who cut off his links with the ICL - to prove their worth this season. KKR will be hoping for a much better showing this time around and with a cursory glance at their squad that feat is not beyond them, although it will be a huge surprise if they finish in the top three.

Strengths: Kolkata's strength undoubtedly lies in their batting. Any batting line-up that includes Gayle and McCullum (when available) at the top is going to give the opposition sleepless nights. They are probably the best opening combination in the whole league and can shred any attack to pieces on their day. Apart from those two, KKR have Brad Hodge and David Hussey to bank on in the middle order. A lot will depend on Sourav Ganguly who has been in terrific touch in the domestic circuit this year. Kolkata have some good hitters lower down in the order like Laxmi Shukla, the evergreen Ajit Agarkar and the tremendously talented Angelo Mathews. With only 4 foreign players permitted to play in the final eleven, it all depends on the combination that Ganguly and co. would like to go in with. A batting order that looks far more solid and durable when compared to the previous editions will make Kolkata's job of posting huge totals and chasing down the same that much easier.

Weaknesses: Kolkata's bowling looks likely to be their weakest link. They had Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul in the first IPL, but with no Pakistan players in the second and third editions, only the woefully out of form Ishant Sharma remains. Towards that end, Kolkata went aggressively for a strike bowler in the third auction, and got the services of Shane Bond. They will be keeping their fingers crossed though, and hope that Bond doesn't suffer one of his numerous injury break-downs during the season. They have Ajantha Mendis too, but the Sri Lankan is much less of a mystery and a threat than he was when he burst onto the scene. With such a depleted bowling line-up, Kolkata will be hard pressed to contain any of the major sides. Their fielding is no great shakes either with only Hodge, McCullum (if he does not keep) and Angelo Mathews being outstanding. The weaknesses are far more threatening than the strengths and that exposes KKR. If they can cover up their weaknesses - which looks unlikely - then Kolkata will have lots to smile about.

Players to watch out for:

Shane Bond: The Canterbury Cop, when in full flow and injury free, is a delight to watch. Having one of the cleanest actions and capable of knocking over the batsmen with sheer pace. Although his speed has reduced slightly since his comeback post the ICL saga, Bond is a prize catch for the KKR team. With only 4 overs to be bowled in a game expect Bond to go all out in an effort to skittle the opposition out. If he can remain injury free for the length of the tournament, then KKR have a definite chance of making early inroads with the new ball.

Chris Gayle: The cool guy from the Caribbean is one of the most violent individuals when he is armed with a bat in his hand. With the ability to massacre and brutalize any attack, Gayle is expected to be the engine that drives the KKR side at the top of the order. The T20 format is best suited for his high risk batting and on his day no opposition will be spared. He will itching to make an impression as he has not played much for his franchisee. If he fires consistently then KKR will be a dangerous dark-horse this year.

Key players' Timelines: