IPL 2023: 3 Players Who Can Replace Shakib Al Hasan in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Squad

IPL 2023: In what comes as a major blow to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), their overseas recruit Shakib al Hasan has decided not to participate in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). It has been learned that Shakib has opted out of the marquee T20 tournament due to national duties and personal reasons. The premier Bangladeshi all-rounder is currently playing the one-off Test match at home against Ireland. This match started in Mirpur on Tuesday, April 4. Moreover, the three-match ODI series against the same opponents was away in May.

Earlier, it was reported that Shakib would be arriving in India after the completion of the T20I series against Ireland on March 31. But now he has opted to sit out of the tournament. Shakib’s countrymen and KKR’s overseas recruit for IPL 2023, Litton Das is expected to arrive in the KKR camp after the one-off Test match, which runs until April 8.

Without Shakib, the Knight Riders have only six overseas players in their squad, including Litton Das. The team has already been hit hard by player unavailability issues, with their full-time captain Shreyas and speedster Lockie Ferguson out with injuries. While Ferguson’s injury is expected to be a short one, it might take a while for Iyer to return to the cricketing fold. Shakib’s unavailability for the whole 2023 season is a big concern for the Knight Riders. With Shakib not there, KKR will have to look at his replacement. Let’s have a look at three players who can replace Shakib in the KKR squad.

IPL 2023: 3 Players That KKR Can Choose to Replace Shakib Al Hasan

3) Dasun Shanaka

Despite being a talented all-rounder and having a base price of INR 50 Lakh, Dasun Shanaka was not picked up by any team in the IPL 2023 auction. Sri Lanka’s white-ball skipper is an excellent all-arounder who can bat and bowl well in the shortest version of the game. He is a seasoned campaigner who can bowl right-arm medium pace and bat in the top and middle orders. The seam bowling all-rounder has outstanding batting prowess and also has the ability to hit the ball far and hard, while with the ball he also has wicket-taking bowling ability. His ability to score runs quickly can change the momentum of a game and put the opposing bowlers under pressure.

2) Mohammad Nabi

Nabi played for the Knight Riders in the IPL 2022. Nabi did not appear in any games for the Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2022 season. Moreover, he was released by the team ahead of the IPL 2023 auction. He went unsold in the IPL 2023 auction with a base price of INR 1 crore after a horror run in the T20 World Cup 2022. Nabi has been a member of the IPL since the 2017 season. So far in his IPL career, he has played for two teams: Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders. The ace Afghanistan all-rounder has appeared in 17 IPL games so far. The right-handed batter has scored 180 runs while also taking 13 wickets with his right-arm off-spin.

He may not have a great IPL record but he continues to be a mainstay across formats for Afghanistan and is one of the most prolific all-rounders in the 20-over format. Nabi was one of the architects of Afghanistan’s famous series win over Pakistan in UAE. His current form is good and that can play a role in his selection 

1) Daryl Mitchell

Mitchell played 2 games for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2022. He scored 33 runs in total with a top knock of 17 runs in one match. He failed to get any wickets and struggled with an economy rate of 13.50. RR released him ahead of the IPL auction 2023. In the player auction, Mitchell went unsold at a base price of INR 1 crore. The Kiwi all-rounder is a utility player who can bowl a few overs of right-arm pace. He can also smack big shots at will. Mitchell is recognized as a good reader of the game. But most importantly, he can bat in the top order and the middle order. He can also bowl a few economical overs of right-arm medium pace.

The seam bowling all-rounder has good knowledge of the sub-continental conditions well and has a good temperament to be a great value addition to the team. His addition can fix a lot of things for KKR, especially their top order, which looks fragile. It should not be a surprise if he comes as a replacement for Shakib.