KKR: players to watch out in CL T20

New Delhi: Whether Kolkata Knight Riders qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 main event will be a thing to see, but the Jacques Kallis-led side surely has the firepower to make the spectators’ money worth. Here is a look at some of the players who can turn the tables for them:

Jacques Kallis: Changing his loyalties from Royal Challengers Bangalore before the fourth IPL season, Jacques Kallis has been one of the successful stories for the KKR this season. The classy right-hander was the highest run-getter for the Kolkata-based side with 424 runs in 15 matches. While opening the batting for his new franchisee, the 35-year old South African had mixed caution with aggression and gave his side formidable starts on most occasions. His more than useful medium-pace bowling also gave skipper Gautam Gambhir a wicket-taking option.
Yusuf Pathan: Like Kallis, Yusuf Pathan too had shifted his base from Jaipur (Rajasthan Royals) to Kolkata. His ability of clearing the boundaries (hit 13 sixes in 2011 IPL season) at will makes him one of the most sought after cricketer in the IPL. His liking for spinners is well known, whom he treats with utter disdain. Besides being a powerful hitter, the 28-year-old is also a good off-spinner who is capable of extracting purchase from spin-friendly Indian wickets.
Brett Lee: A former Kings XI Punjab bowler, Lee has turned the tables for his new side with his skillful fast bowling. Without compromising with his pace, the 34-year-old bowler from New South Wales has completely transformed himself to suite the demands of the T20 cricket. Now, along with toe-crushing yorkers and helmet-denting bouncers, Lee also changes his pace often. Batsmen have found hard to pick his well disguised slow bouncers.
Manoj Tiwary: The rising star of Kolkata has played some breathtaking knocks in the last edition of the IPL. He is also the second highest run (596 runs in 28 matches) scorer, after Sourav Ganguly (1031 runs in 40 matches), for the KKR. The 25-year-old seems to have found out a renewed self confidence which is helping him performing in all forms of the game.
Iqbal Abdulla: The diminutive slow-left armer was the highest wicket-taker (16 wickets) for KKR in the 2011 IPL season. The 21-year-old bowler, who plays for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, impressed one and all with the preciseness of his line and length. He foxes the batsmen with his tossed-up deliveries, while also strangles them with his arm ball. The left-hander, who had strung a few important partnerships in the previous IPL seasons, is more than a useful batsman lower down the order.