In the IPL 2022, where they had installed a new captain in Shreyas Iyer, the Kolkata Knight Riders failed to reach the playoffs, finishing 7th in the 10-team tournament. In the middle of the season, they suffered 5 consecutive defeats which derailed their top-four dream.
KKR also had a poor mega-auction last time as they splashed big money on only a few players – on the likes of Iyer, Rana, Cummins, and Mavi – and now they’d want to rectify their mistakes, fill the holes in the side this year at the IPL 2023 auction, which is slated for mid-December.
Here are 3 overseas stars KKR may target at the IPL 2023 auction:
Cameron Green
With the likes of Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Finch and Billings, KKR struggled for proper opening options in the IPL 2022. They could address that by bringing in Cameron Green, the young Australian all-rounder who recently make a mark while opening in T20Is against India by smashing 61 (30) and 52 (21).
23-year-old Green also bowls regularly for Australia; his all-round skillset will surely make him one of the most expensive picks at the IPL 2023 auction. KKR could even think of releasing the million-dollar worth Pat Cummins who has been expensive in T20 cricket and use that money on Cameron Green, the young all-rounder who is the next big thing in Australian cricket.
Steve Smith
KKR lacked stability in their top and middle order with the batters failing to rally around skipper Shreyas Iyer. One left-field option that KKR could use is to rope in Steve Smith, the senior Australian batter who had gone unsold last season.
Smith can play the role of an anchor; a fail-safe option as Australia uses him in T20Is, giving the batters around him the freedom to play their shots. Smith also has immense experience of captaining Australia and two teams in the IPL, which would come in handy to Iyer, who is still in the initial years of leading in the IPL.
Paul Stirling
Swashbuckling Ireland opener Paul Stirling’s name has been going around in the T20 circuit around the world due to his brilliant T20 form in the past few years, however, he’s failed to bag an IPL deal so far.
Since the start of 2018, Paul Stirling has the fourth-most number of T20I runs in the world, yet, and quite surprisingly, the IPL franchises have chosen to ignore the aggressive Ireland opener. Knowing that KKR like to make choices which are not popular among other franchises, KKR might go after the Irish opener has a huge experience of 310 T20 matches and 114 T20Is.
