While the 16th season of the Indian Premier League is less than two weeks away, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) could be without their skipper Shreyas Iyer. Even though Iyer’s back injury forced him to skip the first match of the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Shreyas Iyer appeared to be okay when he returned for the second match.
However, the problem arose in the series finale in Ahmedabad, and he didn’t bat for India during the innings. In the match’s aftermath, Indian captain Rohit Sharma didn’t sound particularly hopeful about Iyer’s health, and he won’t be able to play in the ODI series against Australia. KKR may add hitting depth if Iyer remains unavailable for the IPL 2023.
1. Mohammed Azharuddeen
Mohammed Azharuddeen, a 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman who plays for Kerala in the domestic division, might appeal to KKR. Despite the low opening bid of ₹ 20 Lakh, none of the IPL franchises purchased Azharuddeen. He has played in 38 T20 games, hitting 741 runs with a strike rate of 134.97. In the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the wicketkeeper-batsman scored a century against a formidable Mumbai bowling attack in just 37 balls. At the IPL 2021 Auction, he was purchased by Royal Challengers Bangalore, but he never got to make an appearance for them in the field.
2. Jagadeesha Suchith
All-rounder Jagadeesha Suchith plays for Karnataka in the domestic division. His base price was ₹ 20 Lakh in the IPL Auction 2023. He is a former player of the Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, and Sunrisers Hyderabad. Suchith has appeared in 22 games during his IPL career.
With a low strike rate of 114.75, Suchith has made 70 runs in 22 games. However, he has a superior record with the ball, having taken 19 wickets at an economy rate of 8.6. KKR could benefit from Suchith’s vast experience in domestic conditions.
3. Priyam Garg
Priyam Garg captained India at the 2020 ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup, and he remained unsold despite having a minimum price tag of only ₹ 20 Lakh at the mini-auction in December 2022. In the Indian Premier League, Garg has played before for Sunrisers Hyderabad, though not with much success.
Garg has yet to impress with the statistics in T20 cricket; after 44 games, his strike rate is just 115.35. KKR has only a few high-quality choices, so Garg may be a viable pick.
