KKR Player Retention List for IPL 2023: Full list of players released and retained by Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been the busiest of all ten franchises in the trade window set for the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The two-time champions have made as many as three picks prior to officially confirming their list of retained and released cricketers ahead of the IPL 2023 auction in December.
They traded in two of the defending champions Gujarat Titans' (GT) players into their line-up in the form of New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson and Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz. The side also roped in Indian allrounder Shardul Thakur into their camp from Delhi Capitals (DC).
This, after two of their cricketers Pat Cummins and Sam Billings confirmed they won't be taking part in IPL 2023 due to their international commitments, leaving the think-tank with a beefed-up purse but also some extra headache.
KKR had no option but to also release Alex Hales after he, too, opted out of the IPL 2023, for which the 2012 and 2014 winners have let go of Ajinkya Rahane, Sheldon Jackson, Aaron Finch and Chamika Karunaratne from their squad in play for IPL 2022.
KKR Players Released
Pat Cummins, Sam Billings, Aman Khan, Shivam Mavi, Mohammad Nabi, Chamika Karunaratne, Aaron Finch, Alex Hales, Abhijeet Tomar, Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Sharma, Baba Indrajith, Pratham Singh, Ramesh Kumar, Rasikh Salam, Sheldon Jackson
KKR Players Retained
Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh
Players Traded In by KKR
Lockie Ferguson, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shardul Thakur
Players Traded Out by KKR
None
Final KKR Squad ahead of IPL 2023 Auction
Shreyas Iyer (capt), Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh
KKR Staff for IPL 2023
Chandrakant Pandit (head coach), James Foster (assistant coach), Ryan Ten Doeschate (fielding coach)
Retention Verdict
By trading in Ferguson from the Titans, KKR have made an effort to boost their fast-bowling resources, which lacked experience and depth, with too much pressure on allrounder Andre Russell to deliver for them in the end-overs.
Ferguson is a capable overseas replacement for Cummins with the ball. Along the same lines, Gurbaz is a promising pick for Billings as a batting-keeper. Thakur's inclusion gives KKR depth, too, as long as they can cover for his expensive ways with the ball in the end-overs.
KKR look unsure of their top-order batting after the release of Hales, Rahane, Finch and back-up fast-bowling ahead of the auction despite Ferguson coming in. These should be their key focus areas at the mini auction coming ahead.