The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) appear to be rising at the perfect moment to make a late assault for a position in the IPL 2023 playoffs after an erratic start to the season. After losing four matches out of their first six games, it seems like the franchise will fall to the bottom
However, they won three of their next five games and are presently in fifth place with 10 points and three games remaining. This appears to be a lot stronger season than the one they had last year when they finished seventh.
One of the key reasons for this surge in form might be that several players who weren’t unable to play at their full capacity last year appeared to have rediscovered their mojo this season. On that note, consider the following three players:
3) Nitish Rana
KKR were dealt a major setback as skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the IPL 2023 season due to a back ailment that required surgery. After much deliberation, the Knight Riders appointed Nitish Rana as the stand-in captain and the move seemed to have paid dividends so far.
Rana scored 361 runs in 14 games last year, averaging 27.77. However, he has already scored 326 runs this season and raised his total strike rate to 146.85. He has also been frugal with the bowling, surrendering only 6.73 runs per over and taking three wickets. He has been the strong leader that KKR need, leading by example.
2) Varun Chakravarthy
After an impressive first couple of seasons for KKR where he picked 35 wickets, Varun Chakravarthy had a season to forget last year. He played 11 games, picking up just six wickets at an economy rate of 8.51, which is too high for someone who had the reputation of being economical.
However, this season, Chakravarthy has been on fire and has not let Sunil Narine’s lack of form affect the Knight Riders that much. In 11 games so far, he has already picked 17 wickets and also has improved his economy rate to 7.85. He is crucial for KKR’s hopes of winning the remaining games and making it to the playoffs.
1) Venkatesh Iyer
Venkatesh Iyer’s 370 runs in 10 games in the IPL 2021 season catapulted him into the spotlight as the tournament’s breakthrough hero, virtually single-handedly propelling KKR to the final.
The next season, though, he struggled, scoring only 182 runs in 12 games at an atrocious average of 16.55. Venkatesh, on the other hand, appears to get back on track this season in his new role as Impact Player.
In 11 games, he has scored 314 runs with a strike rate of 145.37, becoming only the second KKR player to record an IPL hundred after Brendon McCullum. His job at No. 3 appears to be critical for the Knight Riders as they try to make the playoffs.
