Kolkata Knight Riders will make a few changes to their squad ahead of IPL 2024. The two-time champions failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2023 as they finished in the lower half of the standings once again. KKR suffered quite a few blows due to injuries this season.
The biggest one was the unavailability of their captain Shreyas Iyer, who underwent surgery. Nitish Rana led the team decently in his absence, but his efforts were not enough to take the team to the playoffs. In this article now, we will look at the four players whom the Kolkata Knight Riders might release before the IPL 2024 playoffs.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders may not retain Lockie Ferguson for IPL 2024
KKR raised quite a few eyebrows when they signed Lockie Ferguson for INR 10 crore in the trade window. Ferguson is an injury-prone player and missed some IPL 2023 matches due to injuries as well. KKR will likely release their Kiwi pacer and try to sign him for a lower price.
2. Kolkata Knight Riders may not retain Shardul Thakur for IPL 2024
Another trade which went wrong for KKR was Shardul Thakur. Being a senior player, Thakur was expected to lead from the front in the bowling attack. However, he was in and out of the playing XI. Since KKR could not use Thakur well, they may free up 10.75 crore in their auction purse by releasing him.
3. Narayan Jagadeesan
Former Chennai Super Kings wicket-keeper Narayan Jagadeesan played his first season for KKR in 2023. Jagadeesan failed to impress the fans as he scored only 89 runs in six innings. His strike rate was less than 110 as well, which may lead to his release from the franchise.
4. Mandeep Singh
KKR fans had high hopes from Mandeep Singh because he has a lot of experience under his belt. With Shreyas Iyer ruled out, Mandeep had to score a lot of runs for the Knight Riders. However, he managed only 14 runs in three matches at an average of 4.67. It is highly unlikely that he will receive another deal from KKR.
