Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 4

Kolkata Knight Riders

No of players bought: 12 (5 Indian, 7 overseas)
Money spent: $8.57m
Big-ticket signing: Gautam Gambhir ($2.4m) and Yusuf Pathan ($2.1m)
Bargain buy: Brad Haddin ($325,000) and Shakib Al Hasan ($425,000)
Eyebrow-raiser: Manoj Tiwary ($475,000). Kolkata hadn't chased any of the players they previously had in their squad over the past three years, but towards the end of the first day they decided to go after Tiwary.
One that got away: With two major buys in the first hour, Kolkata didn't have the money to raise the stakes high on too many other players.

Splashing the cash early meant they had a strong Indian batting core to rely on in Gautam Gambhir - their likely captain - and Yusuf Pathan. And, in a tournament where the strength of the Indian players determines team fortunes, they already have five players who should start most matches. They also supplemented that with three value-for-money foreign allrounders - Jacques Kallis, Shakib Al Hasan and Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate. One of their major drawbacks in previous seasons was the lack of a potent bowling attack, a weakness that persists with the current squad. They have Brett Lee, in his prime one of the finest limited-overs bowlers, but after being repeatedly ravaged by injury, it remains to be seen whether he retains the magic of old.

Squad
Batsmen: Gautam Gambhir ($2.4m), Manoj Tiwary ($475,000), Eoin Morgan ($350,000)
Bowlers: L Balaji ($500,000), Brett Lee ($400,000), Jaidev Unadkat ($250,000), James Pattinson ($100,000)
Allrounders: Yusuf Pathan ($2.1m), Jacques Kallis ($1.1m), Shakib Al Hasan ($425,000), Ryan ten Doeschate ($150,000)
Wicketkeeper: Brad Haddin ($325,000)