- June 9, 2025
Major League Cricket’s Los Angeles Knight Riders have often been a team of big names but small returns. After two seasons, they are still quenching their playoff thirst. With West Indian legends like Sunil Narine and Andre Russell on the roster, there has been widespread hope for fireworks. Unfortunately, LAKR’s poor batting and the overuse of lesser stars have held back their perennial playoff aspirations in MLC. However, with some raw Caribbean talent and a couple of clever international players, could 2025 be when the Knight Riders shake their playoff itch?
The Caribbean Core: Strength in Numbers
If the LA Knight Riders have one thing down pat, it is that if you have West Indian players, they bring substance and style. Despite a disappointing batting return of 27 runs in six innings, Narine’s bowling prowess endures with an economy rate of approximately 6.2. Despairingly, Andre Russell’s exuberance and brutal talent have been held back with a lower batting position that restricts him from turning matches.
LAKR has gone full West Indian muscle for 2025! With the inclusion of former Windies captains Jason Holder and Rovman Powell, they have brought in some leadership and all-around skill. Also adding Sherfane Rutherford and Andre Fletcher, both fresh from their international MLC debuts, gives them plenty of batting depth and experience. These new players bring the power-hitting and experience that LAKR’s lineup has been missing.
LAKR’s lack of last season’s ability to have a batter in the tournament’s top 10 run-scorers shone a light on a glaring gap in the squad. The West Indian additions could be the game-changer to turn tight contests into wins and finally top some playoff magic.
Balancing International Firepower with Domestic Talent
LAKR has an impressive list of players on the international circuit, but it is the home-based players who provide the cohesion for the team. Unmukt Chand has shown that he is a reliable contributor with at least a couple of important half-centuries in the last season. Alongside him will be USA batters Nitish Kumar and Saif Badar, both of whom are under pressure to prove they can help after rather quiet campaigns.
South African speedster Anrich Nortje will take charge of the bowling department in 2023, following the departure of last season’s leading wicket-taker Spencer Johnson. Young leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha brings an exciting new dimension to the attack, while local bowlers Ali Khan and Shadley Van Schalkwyk add valuable experience to the bowling lineup.
The promising wicketkeeper-batsman pick in the widely-discussed domestic draft, Adithya Ganesh, did not see time in LAKR’s playing XI last season, raising some eyebrows. For LAKR to be successful, they need their domestic players to step up and be able to play off their international players.
The Playoff Puzzle: What Needs to Click?
The Knight Riders have been mostly decent with the ball, but their inconsistent batting has continued to be their Achilles’ heel. Narine’s economy of bowling has been a bedrock; however, without reliable runs from the top and middle-order batting has limited the Knight Riders’ ability to post or chase competitive scores.
One of the biggest challenges for the Knight Riders will be to unlock the full potential of Andre Russell. Batting him at number seven has limited his ability to make an impact. By moving Russell up the batting order, it could potentially unleash the explosive power-hitting game-changer who can turn games in just a few overs. If they can find the balance between aggressive intent and enough stability to get consistent performances from their West Indian core players and domestic cricketers, they will have a genuine opportunity to go deep into the playoffs.
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