3 KKR players who should be released after a poor IPL 2023
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) officially bowed out of the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) following their defeat at the hands of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday, May 20. They ended the season in seventh position, having won just six out of their 14 games.
Their failure to make it to the playoffs was down to their inability to perform as a collective unit. Initially, they had issues with their opening combination and the poor form of their experienced pacers. All-rounder Andre Russell's inconsistency and mystery spinner Sunil Narine's struggles did not help their cause either.
Ahead of next season, KKR will look to rectify the mistakes that they made this year so as to come back stronger. While they will look to retain some of their performers, there will be a few others who may have to face the axe.
On that note, let's look at three players who KKR should release after a poor IPL 2023.
#1 Mandeep Singh
When he won the award for the emerging player in IPL 2012, many thought that Mandeep Singh would go on to achieve higher honors.
However, he has failed to do that as he has not had a single 300-run season from 2013 onwards. He has played every season, turning out for different teams but has not repaid the faith of the respective franchises.
This year, playing for the KKR, he could only score 14 runs in three games. The strike rate is irrelevant when the sample size is so small but just to mention, it was below 90.
Mandeep is likely to be one of the casualties when KKR decide on whom to release ahead of next season.
#2 Tim Southee
Tim Southee had a pretty good IPL season in 2022 following which he was retained by the Knight Riders.
In 2023, he was expected to spearhead the pace attack but he didn't have a great time in the two games that he got to play in this year's cash-rich league. He could only pick up two wickets but what was concerning was his terrible economy rate of 13.17.
He was eventually dropped, not only because of his performances but also because of KKR's overseas combination. As such, it is likely that the New Zealander will be released by KKR ahead of next season.
#3 Umesh Yadav
Like Southee, Umesh Yadav too had a brilliant season in 2022, which eventually led to him being recalled into India's T20 side. In 12 games last season, he picked up 16 wickets at a brilliant economy rate of 7.06.
However, he couldn't replicate the same form this year as he could only manage to pick up a solitary wicket in eight games. His economy rate of 9.95 did not help KKR's cause either.
Umesh was eventually dropped from the playing 11 and towards the end of the season, Kolkata found two young Indian pacers in the form of Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana, who showed a lot of skill and hunger to do well.
So, there is a huge chance that Umesh will be released ahead of next season and that would really be the right call.