Prasidh Krishna is being monitored by the BCCI medical team and will resume rehab at the NCA soon.
Rajasthan Royals have suffered a setback even before the IPL 2024 gets underway. The Sanju Samson-led team, who made it to the final in IPL 2022, will be without one of their premier bowlers for this season. Prasidh Krishna, the right-arm fast bowler, will not be able to take any part in IPL 2024.
According to the BCCI’s press release, Krishna underwent surgery on February 23, 2024, on his left proximal quadriceps tendon. He is currently being monitored by the BCCI Medical Team and will resume rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy soon.
Prasidh Krishna will miss the IPL for the second season in a row. He also missed the last season of IPL played in 2023 due to injury. A quality Indian fast bowler is always beneficial for any team to win the IPL. Krishna’s absence will affect the Royals combination and it remains to be seen how they cope with it.
Today, we will look at the 5 players who can replace Prasidh Krishna in the Rajasthan Royals squad.
The Tamil Nadu pacer had a decent outing in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy where he picked up 25 wickets at an average of 25. Warrior is an experienced bowler and has the skills to excel at a big stage. He has represented various IPL franchises in the past like Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Just like Prasidh Krishna, Warrior has the ability to make the new ball talk. On his day, he can dismantle the top order of any team. Last year, he replaced the injured Jasprit Bumrah in Mumbai Indians squad. But he was released before IPL 2024 auction and remained unsold. Given his experience, he can replace Prasidh Krishna in the RR squad.
Asif played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023 but was released ahead of this year’s auction. He played just 4 games in 2023 and ended up picking 3 wickets. The 30-year-old fast bowler from Kerala is a T20 specialist and does not have many first-class games to his name. Over the years, he has represented two IPL franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
Asif bowls with good pace and can clock around 140 kph as well. He has a limited IPL experience with just 7 wickets in as many games at an economy of 10.42. He can be expensive at times but he is a genuine wicket-taker. He has previous experience of playing with RR and that can be helpful of getting him into the squad.
One of the most exciting talents in Indian cricket, Kamlesh Nagarkoti made headlines in 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup. He consistently bowled with pace upwards of 145 kph in the tournament. His pace made everyone wonder about his talent and he was touted as one of the future stars.
But injuries and form have affected the young fast bowler’s career since. He has struggled to find his feet even in the domestic circuit. In IPL, he has picked up 5 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 9.50. He has represented Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders before.
The 24-year-old hails from Rajasthan and is familiar with Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur – Rajasthan Royals’ home ground. He can be the X-factor in Rajasthan Royals’ line-up. His batting skills lower down the order can also work in his favour.
Another former Rajasthan Royals quick, Kuldip Yadav, was released ahead of IPL 2024 auction but found no team. The left-arm quick has played three IPL games and picked up 2 wickets at an average of 42. The 27-year-old played 2 matches last season and 1 match in 2021, all for Rajasthan Royals.
Being a part of Rajasthan Royals team earlier can work in Kuldip’s favour as he will find it easy to gel with the team management. A left-arm pacer always adds value to the team with his different angles. He can bowl with the new ball and can bowl at death as well. He will be the third left-arm seamer in the RR squad after Trent Boult and Nandre Burger if he gets selected.
Ishan Porel is another member of India’s Under-19 World Cup 2018 winning squad. Porel can be lethal with the new ball and relies on his lines and lengths for the wickets. He doesn’t bowl with high pace but uses his height to good effect. He can be a useful addition to the Rajasthan Royals squad.
Porel has played just one game in IPL before, for Punjab Kings in 2021, picking up figures of 1/39 in four overs. He can be a like-for-like replacement for Prasidh Krishna with his skills with the new ball and height. The 25-year-old right-arm pacer from Bengal has a decent first-class record as well.
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Replacing Prasidh Krishna won’t be an easy thing for Rajasthan Royals. Krishna had an excellent season in IPL 2022 with RR when he picked up 19 wickets in 17 matches and was among the top 10 wicket-takers of the season. But he has missed the next two seasons, only adding misery to RR’s troubles.
Rajasthan Royals struggled in the absence of Prasidh Krishna last season when they failed to make it to the playoffs. They will begin their IPL 2024 campaign against Lucknow Super Giants on March 24 at Jaipur.
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