KKR in IPL 2023: Match-winning spin bowlers in Kolkata Knight Riders

Shreyas Iyer, the usual captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), won’t be available, at least for the first half of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL). For his lower-back issue, which forced him to sit out of the fourth and final Test against Australia earlier this month, Shreyas is anticipated to endure surgery.

Even days before their IPL 2023 season opener against Punjab Kings on April 1, KKR has not yet named their replacement captain in Iyer’s absence.

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The 31-year-old spinner Varun was excellent for KKR in IPL 2020 and IPL 2021, which led to his selection for India’s squad. The fact that Narine had a poor captaincy performance with the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders recently during the first season of the ILT20 in the UAE, where the team had just one victory and eight losses to place last in the six-team competition, could also work against him.

The KKR squad selected Shakib Al Hasan, a Bangladeshi all-rounder, this year for INR 1.5 crores. He is currently being taken into consideration by the team management as a potential substitute for Shreyas Iyer, who will likely miss some games for both KKR and Team India due to a back injury.

Shakib’s prior leadership abilities may make the KKR management’s decision to select him as skipper simple. Under his leadership, Bangladesh’s squad won the T20 series against England, which had just won the World Cup. Shakib has demonstrated his skill as a player by excelling in every aspect of the game.

Shakib, however, might be forced to miss a few games because of his obligations to the Bangladesh cricket team, which is presently playing a series against Ireland. Two one-day international matches (ODIs) between the two countries will take place in May as a component of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.

He recently captained Bangladesh in a memorable 3-0 victory over England. In the series, Shakib spun exceptionally well and took wickets at crucial moments. He was a significant part of a series that will live in Bangladesh’s memory.

Shakib Al Hasan bowls in the proper areas and poses a danger to left- and right-handed bowlers alike. His arm ball frequently causes hitters problems. Shakib takes wickets while not conceding runs and doesn’t give anything away for free.

In T20 cricket, he has taken 446 wickets overall, averaging 21.56 and 6.81 with the ball. One spinner to watch out for in the Kolkata Knight Riders is Shakib.