IPL 2023: Full Squad Players List for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) purchase 8 players in the Auction as we look at their full official squad and players list for IPL 2023. 

The Kolkata Knight Riders had the lowest purse and maximum gaps going into the IPL 2023 Auction. The team had retained only 14 players, and except for a good first-choice playing 11, they needed good backups to complete their gaps. 

So, how did KKR perform in the Auction? Well, technically one can say they did fulfil their gaps by buying 8 players for a price of INR 5.4 Crores. Surprisingly, they didn’t spend their available quota of INR 7.05 crores as they still have INR 1.65 crores left with them.

Kolkata Knight Riders spent 1.5 Crores on Shakib Al Hasan; the most for any player, and apart from him, KKR bought 2 more overseas players, Litton Das for INR 0.5 Cr and David Wiese for 1 Cr. So, here’s the complete list of players bought by KKR in the IPL 2023 Auction.    

IPL 2023 Auction: Players Bought by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Shakib Al Hasan [INR 1.5 Cr], N. Jagadeesan [0.9 Cr], Vaibhav Arora [0.6 Cr], Suyash Sharma [0.2 Cr], David Wiese [1 Cr], Kulwant Khejroliya [0.2 Cr], Litton Das [0.5 Cr], and Mandeep Singh [0.5 Cr]. 

Analyzing the squad, Kolkata Knight Riders have only 22 players, but they did complete their quota of 8 overseas players. With INR 1.65 crores still left, they could have bought 2 more young Indian players, but they decided to save that money (Not sure for what). 

Overall, KKR have a good first-choice 11, but their backups aren’t stop strong. For example, the Backup for Andre Russell is David Wiese and the Backup for Sunil Narine is Shakib Al Hasan. Whereas Litton Das and Rahmanullah Guraz, both are decent wicket-keepers. 

Meanwhile, the core of Indian players is mostly inexperienced. The likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, N Jagadeesan, Varun Chakravarthy, and Nitish Rana are full of talent, but inexperienced. With such lineup, Shreyas Iyer may have a tough time if their performance isn’t there. Nevertheless, here’s the complete squad details for KKR for IPL 2023.  

IPL 2023: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Official Squad and Player Details: 

Mandeep Singh, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer [c], Litton Das [o&wk], N Jagadeesan [wk] & Rahmanullah Gurbaz [o&wk], Andre Russell [o],  David Wiese [o], Shakib Al Hasan [o], Sunil Narine [o] & Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Kulwant Khejroliya, Lockie Ferguson [o], Shardul Thakur, Suyash Sharma, Tim Southee [o], Umesh Yadav, Vaibhav Arora & Varun Chakravarthy

Total Players for IPL 2023: 22

Coming to the best first-choice playing 11 for KKR for IPL 2023, we have Venkatesh Iyer and Litton Das as openers. KKR could also think of playing either Rahmanullah Gurbaz or N Jagadeesan as the wicket-keeper choice. But between the three, Litton seems more potent. 

The middle-order shall reply on Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, and Nitish Rana. Whereas the finishing duties shall rely on Andre Russel and Sunil Narine. With Shardul Thakur at 8, KKR get a good batting depth, which is good. Finally, the bowling shall see Lockie Fergison, Umesh Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy as the preferred options.

KKR can also play Tim Southee for Umesh or Varun Chakravarthy if N. Jagadeesan is played above Litton Das or R. Gurbaz. Again, this shall depend on how players are performing after the initial few matches. 

IPL 2023: Best First-choice Playing 11 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) 

Venkatesh Iyer, Litton Das [wk], Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer [c], Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav & Varun Chakravarthy 

Thanks for reading! What’s your take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad and players list for IPL 2023 post the Mini Auction? Please email your thoughts to cric8fanatic@gmail.com

ALSO READ: IPL 2023 Auction: Official Squad and Players List for Delhi Capitals (DC)

© Cric8fanatic