About Kolkata Knight Riders

The squad in the company of the biggest blockbuster movie star as its holder, lived upto his icon last year. They began on a hit, but could not maintain any more period, they merely frittered away it all to resist in the last phase of DLF-IPL1. Of all the teams, they flattered to mislead. But now comes the big chance to set the record straight. But even before a ball is bowled the Knight Riders have a crisis. Coach John Buchanan wants four-man captaincy team and wants it to be rotated forcing the iconic Sourav Ganguly to brood. Will this feud eat up Knight Riders? Wait and watch

Captain-Coach combination: India’s most booming captain with a eccentric image on and off the field combines with one of cricket’s most thriving coaches for the most unlikely combo.

Last year’s record: Played 14, Won: 6, Lost: 7, N/R: 1

STRENGTHS: Explosive batting ability at the top of the order with players like Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle set to open. In-form McCullum’s availability for the whole season will be a enormous bonus. The inscrutability spin of Ajantha Mendis will help the Knight Riders get some cheap wickets, specially when the slog is on.

WEAKNESSES: Not too much seam bowling depth apart from Mashrafe Mortaza and Ishant Sharma. The lack of Pakistan players Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar might hurt the team poorly. One also has to search long and hard for the presence of a quality all-rounder as Laxmi Ratan Shukla doesn’t quite fit the bill as a bowler. Ganguly, it seems will need to roll his arm over in every game.

OPPORTUNITIES: For Sourav Ganguly to show that he is as a team man after being removed as captain. For John Buchanan to prove that his multiple-captain theory works.

THREATS: The Buchanan-Ganguly spat might do to KKR what the Chappell-Ganguly fall out did to the Indian team. A disinterested and dispassionate Ganguly might be poisonous for team spirit. Buchanan might not rate him too high, but he is father figure to many Indian youngsters in the Knight Riders camp. A fractured team is a real possibility.

Owners: Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla (Bollywood stars)

Coach: John Buchanan (AUS)

Captain: Brendan McCullum

Foreign players: Ajantha Mendis (SRI), Angelo Mathews (SRI), Brad Hodge (AUS), Brendan McCullum (NZL), Chris Gayle (WIS), David Hussey (AUS), Mark Cameron (AUS), Mashrafe Mortaza (BAN), Moises Henriques (AUS).

India stars: Sourav Ganguly, Aakash Chopra, Ishant Sharma, Murali Kartik, Sanjay Bangar