Kolkata Knight Riders Unveil New Captain for IPL 2023 in the Absence of Shreyas Iyer

Kolkata Knight Riders New Captain for IPL 2023: The Indian Premier League 2023 is about to kick off, and fans of the Kolkata Knight Riders are gearing up for what promises to be another exciting season. However, the team will have to contend with the absence of their regular captain, Shreyas Iyer, who has been ruled out for at least the first half of the season due to a back injury. The franchise has recently announced their new skipper, Nitish Rana, who will lead the team in the upcoming season.

Who is Nitish Rana?

Nitish Rana is a left-handed middle-order batsman from Delhi who has been a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2018. He has been a consistent performer for the team, scoring over 350 runs in each of the last three seasons. In addition to his batting, Rana has also proved to be a handy off-spinner, picking up crucial wickets for the team.

The contenders for the captaincy

In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, there were speculations about who would lead the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2023. Apart from Nitish Rana, two other players were considered front runners for the role – Shardul Thakur and Sunil Narine.

Thakur, a right-arm fast bowler, has been a part of the Chennai Super Kings since 2018 and has also played for the Kings XI Punjab. Sunil Narine, a spin bowler from Trinidad and Tobago, has been an integral part of the Kolkata Knight Riders since 2012 and has played a key role in the team’s two IPL victories.

Why Nitish Rana was chosen as the captain?

The Kolkata Knight Riders management ultimately decided to appoint Nitish Rana as their captain for the IPL 2023. Rana has previously captained Delhi in domestic cricket, which may have worked in his favour. Moreover, his consistent performances with the bat, along with his all-round abilities, make him a valuable asset to the team.

Shreyas Iyer’s absence

Shreyas Iyer’s absence due to injury will be a significant blow to the Kolkata Knight Riders. Iyer was the team’s leading run-scorer in the previous season and also impressed with his captaincy skills. The franchise will have to find a way to fill the void left by Iyer and adapt to the new leadership of Nitish Rana.

Kolkata Knight Riders Squad for IPL 2023

Apart from Nitish Rana and Shreyas Iyer, the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2023 includes Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Venkatesh Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Varun Chakraborty, Harshit Rana, N Jagadeesan, and Vaibhav Arora.

KKR’s first match in IPL 2023

The Kolkata Knight Riders will begin their IPL 2023 campaign against the Punjab Kings on 2nd April in Mohali. The team will be hoping to put up a better performance than the previous season, where they finished fifth in the points table and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Conclusion

The Kolkata Knight Riders have appointed Nitish Rana as their captain for the IPL 2023 in the absence of Shreyas Iyer. Rana’s consistent performances with the bat and his previous experience as a captain may have influenced the franchise’s decision.