3 KKR players who are worth way more than their IPL 2023 contracts
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are staring at failure ahead of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), and their roster construction has come under immense criticism.
There are several players on KKR's books who are arguably eating up a significant portion of the team's budget. The Knight Riders' retention decisions, combined with their recent incoming trades, have raised serious doubts over their decision-making and planning.
At the same time, however, Kolkata have a bunch of players who are on cut-price deals and offer more to the franchise than their price tags suggest. Here are three KKR players who are worth way more than their IPL 2023 contracts.
#3 Rahmanullah Gurbaz
KKR struggled with their wicket-keeping situation in IPL 2022 as Baba Indrajith, Sam Billings and Sheldon Jackson all failed to impress in the role. They attempted to bolster that department ahead of the IPL 2023 auction, signing Rahmanullah Gurbaz via trade from the Gujarat Titans.
Gurbaz joined GT for ₹50 lakh last year after Jason Roy pulled out of the tournament and warmed the bench throughout the campaign. While there are certain concerns regarding his shot selection and ability to play long innings, there's no doubt that the Afghan keeper-batter is going to be around at the highest level of cricket for a long time.
A veteran of T20 leagues around the world already, Gurbaz is definitely worth more than the amount he's currently contracted for.
#2 David Wiese
KKR have long struggled to find an adequate replacement for star all-rounder Andre Russell, and their purchase of David Wiese in the IPL 2023 auction might be the closest they have ever come.
Wiese, signed for just ₹1 crore, is one of the most underrated T20 cricketers in the world right now. The all-rounder is capable of bowling at all stages of the innings and boasts not just a gamut of variations but also the smarts to use them effectively. He is also a big hitter of the cricket ball who can finish games with aplomb.
Wiese hasn't made a mark in the IPL yet, but 2023 might be his year.
#1 Rinku Singh
Salamat rahe yeh dostana 💜
#OnThisDay in 2018, Ranaji & Rinkuji became Knights 🙌
#AmiKKR https://t.co/7wylaIDSJw
Rinku Singh made his IPL debut back in 2017, but he had to wait until the 2022 campaign to have a breakout year. The left-hander amassed 174 runs in seven games for the Knight Riders at an average of 34.8 and a strike rate of 148.72 and even took nine catches.
Rinku has been in excellent form in domestic cricket as well and seems all set to take the step up to the next level. The 25-year-old fetched ₹55 lakh at the IPL 2022 auction as KKR outbid the Lucknow Super Giants to secure his services. As one of the most promising all-format batters on the domestic circuit, he is surely worth more than the amount he's currently earning.