IPL 2023 Auction: 3 Players Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Can Target. Kolkata Knight Riders had a poor run in the IPL 2022. They looked clueless and were searching for the best team combination throughout the season. Their lack of consistency was a worrying sign for the team management, and they could not play a better brand of cricket, despite having a good bunch of players. Problems are plenty for KKR and they need to address those quickly before the next IPL season kicks in.
Kolkata Knight Riders have released 16 players ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction. This includes big names such as Aaron Finch, Ajinkya Rahane, Alex Hales, Pat Cummins, etc.
They have now left with Rs 7.05 crore in their kitty, which is the lowest remaining purse value by any team. The team management under the newly appointed coach Chandrakant Pandit will be eager to get the best combination for IPL 2023. Let us look at the 3 players KKR can target in the IPL 2023 mini-auction, which will be held on 23rd December at Kochi.
Also Read: IPL 2023 Auction: 4 Players Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Can Target
CHRIS LYNN
KKR struggled to get a good and explosive start from their openers in 2022. They tried various combinations, but almost everyone failed to perform. They desperately need an opener who can get going from the word go. Chris Lynn can be the perfect option for this spot. He is someone who can torment the bowling attack.
Chris Lynn does not take too many deliveries to settle in and can attack from the beginning. The Australian player has played for KKR before and has performed well. In 40 innings in which he represented Kolkata Knight Riders, he accumulated 1274 runs. This includes 10 fifties. His strike rate is also above 140, which justifies his talent at the top of the order.
SRIKAR BHARAT
Kolkata Knight Riders apart from the top order have also struggled in the wicket-keeping department. They roped in Sam Billings and Sheldon Jackson, but neither of them justified their price tag. As a result, they let go of these two wicketkeepers. The team management has traded Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz. But, they cannot rely only on him.
Srikar Bharat is a promising wicket-keeper batsman. He first represented RCB in 2021 and has a good outing. They released him and were then brought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore in IPL 2022 mega auction. But, he did not get a chance to play.
Overall, in 10 innings, S Bharat has scored 199 runs, at an average of 28.4 and a strike rate of 122.09. He can be a good asset for KKR in the upcoming edition.
Also Read: IPL 2023: 3 All-Rounders Who Can Fetch More Than 10 Crore In Mini Auction
DAVID WIESE
David Wiese can be one of the players Kolkata Knight Riders can target in the IPL 2023 mini-auction. The availability of Andre Russel is always a concern, due to his frequent injury issues. They need a quality all-rounder as a backup option going forward in IPL 2023. David Wiese is a good all-rounder from Namibia. He has played 15 IPL matches, and his strike rate is more than 140.
The all-rounder, with his medium-pace bowling, has also scalped 16 wickets. His change-of-pace deliveries along with surprise yorkers have proved to be difficult to handle by a lot of top-class batters. Kolkata Knight Riders should look to target David Wiese in the upcoming IPL 2023 mini-auction.
IPL 2023: KKR Retained Players List:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Traded), Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Nitish Rana, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur (Traded), Tim Southee, L Ferguson (Traded), Umesh Yadav, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, V Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy.
IPL 2023: KKR Released Players List:
Alex Hales, Shivam Mavi, Mohammad Nabi, Pat Cummins, Sam Billings, Aman Khan (Traded To DC), Chamika Karunaratne, Aaron Finch, Ashok Sharma, Abhijeet Tomar, Rahane, Rasikh Salam, Ramesh Kumar, Sheldon Jackson, Baba Indrajith, Pratham Singh.
