3 players KKR should release: The Sportsrush presents before you 3 players KKR should release before IPL 2020.
Advertisement
The Indian Premier League franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has had a rare dismal performance in IPL 2019. Although the points table indicates that they finished 5th in the season, their performance was certainly below par, when we take into consideration their reputation as a franchise, and the way they have played in the previous editions of the league.
In spite of losing 6 games on a trot for the first time ever in the history of IPL, KKR still had a clear chance to qualify for the playoffs had they defeated the ‘mighty’ Mumbai Indians in their last league game.
Things looked pretty much in a state of disarray for them this season, as apart from Andre Russell, nobody else clicked for them consistently throughout. Moreover, there was a palpable lack of coordination and team spirit, with reports of indifferences also stemming up within the team during post-match presentations and conferences by their players.
Apart from the aforementioned, there were certain players who despite having given a fair enough rope, failed to make full use of their opportunities, and hence deserve to be released before IPL 2020.
100th win for KKR in T20..
Won the game after 6 consecutive loss in this season!
Won the game after 8 consecutive loss against Mumbai!
— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) April 28, 2019
3 players KKR should release
Prasidh Krishna
Having played 11 matches this season, particularly due to their dearth of fast-bowling options, Prasidh Krishna was able to pick up mere 4 wickets, at an average of 94.25 and a poor economy of 9.34 runs per over.
Moreover, with the likes of the young guns and the under- 19 world cup heroes- Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti likely to join KKR next year, it is high time KKR give him more than just a break and release him before the next year.
ALSO READ: 4 players RCB should release before IPL 2020
Lockie Ferguson
This tall speedster from New Zealand was roped in by the KKR primarily because he can consistently bowl over 145 km/h. However, in the five matches he played for them this season, he bowled poorly at a whooping average of over 91 and a much poorer economy of 10.76 per over.
Ferguson has leaked runs against oppositions with the new ball and has also struggled in the death overs, leaking runs aplenty.
All in all, with only four overseas players allowed in a team, it would be too high a risk to keep him in the side for another season.
Robin Uthappa
Has to be a tough call, but Robin Uthappa has just not even been 50% of what he used to be for KKR in the previous seasons.
In as many as three innings, where his below par strike rate formed a major part in KKR’s losing three important games, the last thing which Uthappa would have wanted was to play a similar kind of an innings in their last league game against MI, where a win would have taken them through to the playoffs. But KKR’s nightmare turned out to be true as he scored 40 after chewing up 47 deliveries, while remaining not out till the end of the innings, unable to rotate strike with the ease he would have liked.
Although age isn’t a factor in Cricket, but this veteran cricketer perhaps doesn’t possess the same reflexes and hand-eye coordination which he used to possess before.
