KKR to name interim captain soon with franchise skippers set to meet on March 30; Thakur and Narine in contention for captaincy - Reportsย
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will soon have to make a decision on their captaincy situation as the Indian Premier League (IPL) has called all the captains for a meeting on Thursday, March 30. Shreyas Iyer is currently struggling with a back injury which has kept him out of action on a periodic basis.
The meeting, which is customary to be held prior to the season, will be used to update the captains about the new rule changes which include the Impact Player concept, among other guidelines.
According to a report by the Times of India, new signing Shardul Thakur and veteran Sunil Narine are leading the list to become KKR's interim captain. Indian all-rounder Thakur was traded to the two-time champions from Delhi Capitals (DC) during the season break. A source told TOI:
"Within a day or two, KKR are set to make the announcement of their new captain in a grand function, with their owner, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and an overseas pop star set to light up the occasion,"
The report further states that the KKR management is inclined towards Thakur as interim captain because his appointment will reduce the communication barrier with the Indian players in the squad.
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It is to be noted that Narine has represented the franchise for over a decade, and even led their sister franchise, the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, during the inaugural edition of the International League T20 (ILT20).
However, they had a disastrous campaign, winning only one match and finishing at the bottom of the table.
KKR will face PBKS on April 1 to get their IPL 2023 campaign underway
The highly anticipated 2023 edition of the IPL will kickstart on Friday, March 31, with a clash between the defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ข๐ช ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ญ๐จ๐ข now in Kolkata. ๐
@imShard #AmiKKR #TATAIPL2023 https://t.co/odIOQtMM2p
KKR, on the other hand, will play IPL 2023's first-ever afternoon contest on Saturday, April 1, against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. The two-time winners will play their first home match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 6.
If reports are to be believed, Shreyas Iyer could potentially join the franchise midway through the competition.
Will the two-time winners qualify for the IPL 2023 playoffs? Let us know what you think.