He added that the pacer can be highly effective if he finds his rhythm.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) coach Mike Hesson picks Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) pacer Spencer Johnson as a major threat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 opener.
As Anrich Nortje is still not looking 100% fit for the first match, it will be interesting to see how KKR adjusts their playing XI. Nortje is recovering from a back injury, which makes it difficult to return immediately and bowl at high speeds. Speaking on his YouTube channel, former RCB coach Mike Hesson shared his thoughts on KKR’s bowling options for the IPL 2025 opener. He believes Johnson is likely to play ahead of Nortje.
“I think Spencer Johnson will play ahead of Nortje. There’s a lot of talk about Nortje being injured. He has come off a back injury, which is really hard to come straight back in and try and bowl 150 km an hour,” Hesson said.
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Hesson also mentioned that Nortje’s presence in the camp suggests there’s still a possibility he could feature if deemed fit. Hesson explained that Johnson, being a left-arm pacer who bowls a hard length and swings the ball, could trouble RCB’s top order, especially if the ball moves into the right-handers early on. He added that Johnson can be highly effective if he finds his rhythm, though he is known to be inconsistent at times. According to Hesson, KKR will have a better idea of Johnson’s form after the warm-up matches, but if he starts well, he could be a major threat in the season opener.
“But I think in terms of playing against RCB and their top order, I think a left-armer who hits a hard length and can swing it could be a real handful for any side, but that RCB top order in particular. If there’s a little bit of movement into the right-handers, you know he is a real threat. And Spencer Johnson is either really on song or he’s not. So they will know from the warm-up games whether he’s got his rhythm. If he’s got his rhythm and he starts well, he could be a real threat,” he added.
KKR Playing XII according to Mike Hesson
Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anjinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson/Anrich Nortje, Varun Chakravarthy, Vaibhav Arora.
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