Kolkata Knight Riders have been one of the most successful franchises in the Indian Premier League history. They have won two championships, but it seems like the Knight Riders may miss out on winning the title this year as they have almost been eliminated from the race to the IPL 2023 playoffs.
KKR need to win their remaining two league matches against the Chennai Super Kings and the Lucknow Super Giants. Also, the Nitish Rana-led outfit need a lot of results to go their way so that they can qualify for the next round of the competition.
Kolkata’s squad for IPL 2023 does not seem the strongest. Fans think that their Indian players have not performed well. The team’s pace attack has also failed to make an impact. Here’s a look at the four players KKR should not have released over the years in the league.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders released Suryakumar Yadav in 2018
Suryakumar Yadav was with the Kolkata-based franchise for multiple seasons. He played as a finisher for the team, but in 2018, the team management released him before the mega auction. Yadav then joined MI. Currently, he is the world number one T20I batter.
2. Kolkata Knight Riders released Shubman Gill in 2022
Shubman Gill has been one of the best young talents to emerge in India over the last decade. He joined Kolkata and multiple seasons for them before the team released him ahead of the 2022 mega auction. Gill now plays for the Gujarat Titans and is among the top run-getters in the tournament.
3. Sanju Samson
Even Sanju Samson was a part of the KKR squad once upon a time. Before the Kerala wicket-keeper made his debut for RR in IPL 2013, he won IPL 2012 with KKR. A player like Samson could have been a long-term asset for Kolkata.
4. Trent Boult
KKR’s pace attack has not made much of an impact this season. The likes of Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Harshit Rana and Kulwant Khejroliya have struggled. Someone like Trent Boult, who was with KKR in 2017, could have emerged as a match-winner in many seasons for Kolkata.
