IPL UPDATES: Kolkata Knight Riders find themselves in turmoil, star English player to miss out

IPL UPDATES: Ahead of the new season, IPL (Indian Premier League) 2023, Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have plenty to look forward to. The Kolkata-based franchise has been a subject of heavy criticism in the past owing to their team selection after the mega auction that was held earlier this year. The team led by Shreyas Iyer was pretty mediocre & lackluster in the previous season and they are in dire need of a change for the upcoming season. 

The Kolkata Knight Riders franchise have reserved the services of Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson and Afghanistan stalwart Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Things were looking pretty sunny for the Kolkata franchise but they have now sustained a massive setback to the plans that they are trying to put in place ahead of the new season. As per the recent developments in the Kolkata Knight Riders camp, English wicketkeeper-batsman Sam Billings has decided to withdraw his services. The 32-year-old England player has made the announcement on his official Twitter and Instagram account. 

Billings has said that he wants to ensure his longevity as a cricketer and this is why he feels that he shouldn’t be playing in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. In his tweet, he also thanked the Kolkata Knight Riders team management and hoped that they collaborate soon. What has caught many eyeballs is the fact that Billings’s decision comes just a day before the retention list is to be announced. 

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Billings wrote:

Have taken the tough decision that I won’t be taking part in the next IPL @KKRiders. Looking to focus on the longer format cricket at the start of the English summer with @kentcricket. Thank you so much for the opportunity @kkriders! Loved every minute of it. An amazing franchise with some brilliant people.

Sam Billings’s journey with the Kolkata Knight Riders

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The Kolkata-based franchise had picked Billings for a whopping amount of INR 2 crores, which was also his base price. In the first eight matches that Billings played, he registered an average of 24.14 and a strike rate of 122.46. He also amassed a total of 169 runs. Sam Billings debuted in the league in 2016 and since then he has been a part of 5 IPL seasons. As far as his IPL career goes, Billings has made a total of 503 runs at a strike rate of 129.64 in 30 matches.

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