With the venue and date for the IPL Auction set, the clock is ticking for teams to submit their list of retained players. The two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) must also think carefully before releasing some of their stars.
The Men in Purple are anticipated to trade Shivam Mavi and re-sign ace-pacer Lockie Ferguson. Apart from that, Aaron Finch, Venkatesh Iyer, and Ajinkya Rahane may not be included in the squad.
Aaron Finch was roped in by the KKR as the replacement for Alex Hales. The right-handed batter was given the opening slot to make the most of the field restrictions.
However, Finch failed to capitalize on the opportunities he got. In five outings, Finch added 86 runs to his profile at an ordinary average of 17.20.
On the other hand, Ajinkya Rahane is one of the most experienced faces in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The KKR franchise bought Rahane for INR 1 crore during IPL 2021 mega auction.
Just like Finch, he was given a go at the top order, but he too failed to perform for his side. In seven appearances, the senior batter amassed only 133 runs at a poor average of 19.33.
KKR is looking for an attacking overseas opener and will consider Alex Hales. Alex Hales was signed by Kolkata in the previous auction, but the England opener pulled out due to bubble fatigue. The Knight Riders were able to sign Aaron Finch, although he did not have a successful season with the team.
If Hales is available for selection after a memorable T20 World Cup campaign, Kolkata would undoubtedly try to sign him. He has played T20 cricket all around the world and has only appeared in six IPL matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018.
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