With the IPL auctions slated to be held next week, the different franchises are already looking at different options to shore up their team. The players have been released, the contracts of the existing ones have been set and now they need to identify personnel to fit into various roles.

Kolkata Knight Riders, a franchise which invested heavily in local and young talent last season, asked their fans to suggest names of players they would want to be in the team. As expected, there were plenty of suggestions pouring in from the fans as far as names are concerned.

The franchise retained Andre Russell, Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn among famous overseas players while Dinesh Karthik, Robin Uthappa, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla forming the Indian group of players.

The fans have asked the franchise to avail the services of Dale Steyn and Mohammed Shami as far as the fast-bowling contingent is concerned. Also, they wish to see KKR bid for Brendon McCullum and Australian all-rounder Moises Henriques.

KOlkata Knight Riders, IPL 2017, Chris Woakes, KKR
Fans have come up with their own suggestionsIANS

Young England all-rounder Sam Curran, who has made himself available for the IPL next year, might be one of the big buys and hence, KKR fans want the management to rope him in as well.

There were other suggestions which said that KKR should consider snapping up Alex Hales and Shimron Hetmyer. While the opening combination looks rather settled for the side, Hetmyer can be a good pick to get going in the middle order.

The IPL 2019 auctions are slated to be held in Jaipur on December 18. Kolkata Knight Riders were eliminated from the tournament having lost the second Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad last year.

As many as 346 cricketers, including 226 Indians, have been shortlisted for the upcoming auctions of the Indian Premier League. In the base price bracket of Rs 2 crore, there are nine players, which surprisingly has no Indian team in it.

Brendon McCullum, Chris Woakes, Lasith Malinga, Colin Ingram, Shaun Marsh, Corey Anderson, Sam Curran, Angelo Mathews and D'Arcy Short are the players in the highest base price bracket.