It hasn’t been a good start for the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 edition. After losing regular captain Shreyas Iyer due to a back injury, they lost their first game in a rain-hit encounter versus Punjab Kings (PBKS). Now, more miseries follow suit as Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is now out of the season for KKR.
Shakib, Bangladesh’s Test and T20I captain, has not joined the KKR squad and formally informed the Kolkata franchise of his unavailability for the entire season. International commitments and personal issues are being reported to be the main reason for his absence. However, Shakib’s teammate Liton Das is expected to join the KKR unit later this week.
As per Cricbuzz, Shakib (36), bought by the franchise for his base price of INR 1.5 crore (INR 15 million), is understood to have called the KKR management and asked to be excused for the ongoing season. It is to be noted that once a player has been bought in the auction, he cannot be released by a franchise. It can only be done only after an edition.
KKR is believed to decide on the replacement player soon. However, Shakib’s experience will be felt by the franchise in IPL 2023. He has played 71 matches, scoring 1,839 and claiming 63 wickets. He was part of KKR’s 2012 and 2014 triumphs.
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