New Delhi, March 18 Despite a lackluster T20 World Cup campaign, Indian mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy will be crucial for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, which begins on March 28, former South African captain Faf du Plessis has said.
Du Plessis, who played for Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru before retiring from the tournament, told 'JioHotStar' that the Eden Gardens pitch should be tailored for Sunil Narine and Chakravarthy.
"If I were part of the KKR team management, I would ask the groundsman at Eden Gardens to make the wicket spin-friendly. KKR are fortunate to have two exceptional spinners in Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine," he said.
"They are two of the best T20 spinners in the game right now. Both, Varun and Narine, need to perform well. If they play on surfaces where they are not at their best, then you are losing those two key players and your advantage."
"Yes, they can bowl well on any wicket and trouble the batsmen. But for KKR to be successful in this IPL, Varun and Narine need to perform. The pitch should be prepared with those two players in mind," he added.
Chakravarthy was not particularly effective during India's title-winning campaign at the T20 World Cup, taking only 14 wickets at an ordinary economy rate of more than 9.
KKR finished third from bottom in the points table last season, having won only five of their 14 games. The Ajinkya Rahane-led team will open their campaign against Mumbai Indians on March 29 in an away fixture.
Du Plessis also highlighted another player who could prove crucial for the side – Cameron Green – although he cautioned that the Australian all-rounder would face immense pressure due to his Rs 25.2 crore contract.
"Cameron Green is a highly talented player with a lot of potential. He is KKR's key purchase and replacement for Andre Russell.
"Green is a tall, strong player who bowls well, has a good bouncer and yorker, can easily hit the ball out of the stadium, and is a good batsman. In short, he is a complete package. He complements KKR's team very well," he said.
"However, his form has not been consistent recently. With a contract of Rs 25.2 crore, he will face a lot of pressure. There is a lot on his shoulders," he observed.
Former India player Lakshmipathy Balaji urged Rahane to bat at the top.
"I always feel that KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane should bat in the top order. He should bat at least at number three. He has done phenomenally well with CSK at number three and scored a lot of runs.
"So, having him bat one down would be good for both, him and KKR. Cameron Green can come out to bat at number four. That will give him time to settle down and then start going after the bowlers. So, a top four of Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Ajinkya Rahane, and Cameron Green will be the ideal combination," he suggested.