IPL 2023 KKR team is no pushover. The two-time winners boast some of the best overseas players and a captain capable of winning games on his own. Though the Kolkata-based franchise had little to spend in the auction, they snapped up three quality overseas players. Let’s take a look at players bought by KKR.
IPL 2023 KKR – New Arrivals
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) released 14 players a few weeks before the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. The list included well-known names like Aaron Finch, Alex Hales, Pat Cummins, Sam Billings, Ajinkya Rahane, etc.
Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and Litton Das will don the KKR jersey in the 2023 season. Shakib returns to the franchise, where he made his IPL debut in 2011. Meanwhile, Litton is a first-timer in the world’s biggest T20 cricket tournament. Namibia international David Wiese, another KKR buy, played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2015 and 2016.
KKR has roped in experienced domestic players. Opening batsman Mandeep Singh has racked up more than 1600 runs in IPL, and uncapped Vaibhav Arora and Narayan Jagadeesan played a few matches last season.
KKR IPL 2023 – Expensive Buys
KKR had the smallest cash purse remaining in the IPL 2023 auction – Rs 7.05 crore. They paid Rs 1.5 crore to Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, making him their biggest purchase in the auction. Shakib brings a wealth of experience and ticks all the boxes for KKR.
David Wiese was the franchise’s second-most expensive signing. The 37-year-old, bought for Rs 1 crore, is a T20 journeyman who played franchise tournaments in England, West Indies, Pakistan, South Africa, etc. With over 300 T20 appearances, Wiese is a valuable addition to the KKR roster.
Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper batter Narayan Jagadeesan is the third most expensive buy in the auction with Rs 90 lakh. Jagadeesan holds the record for the highest individual score and most successive hundreds in List A cricket.
IPL 2023 KKR Auction Players