The IPL finalist from the previous season, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) 3 players underutilized, got off to a strong start by winning three of their first four games. Under the direction of newly chosen captain Shreyas Iyer, the two-time IPL champion opened the season as one of the favorites. The Kolkata-based franchise, however, quickly hit a rough patch as they dropped five straight games and saw all of their tactics completely disregarded.
During KKR’s campaign, a number of things went wrong, including opening combinations that didn’t work, crucial players who didn’t score, and repeated alterations to find the correct combinations. These elements caused Kolkata to drop to position four on the points chart. Kolkata finally placed seventh in the points table with 6 victories from 14 games.
KKR employed 21 of their 24 available players, and their erratic player selection hampered their prospects of making it to the playoff rounds. Since the playing lineup was always changing, the team’s management was unable to fully harness the potential of their talented players. Rinku Singh. Below are the 3 players underutilized by KKR.
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3 players underutilized by KKR
Rinku Singh
Since 2018, Rinku Singh has been a member of the KKR team, although the 24-year-old didn’t play consistently because of the team’s composition. This season, Rinku had the most opportunity because he participated in the final seven league games, but this time, he made the most of every opportunity and astounded everyone with his finishing prowess.
The player from Aligarh is possibly the biggest asset for KKR in the IPL 2022. The southpaw performed some crucial innings for KKR as a finisher in the lower order and helped the team win the game. He helped KKR snap a five-match losing streak and kept them in the playoff hunt with his 42 runs off only 23 balls against Rajasthan Royals.
The middle-order batsman scored 174 runs at an incredible strike rate of 148.72 in seven IPL 2022 games. He had his best games against the Lucknow Super Giants, scoring 40 points off 15 balls with a remarkable strike rate of 266.67. A
Despite the fact that his team was unable to win thanks to his innings, several cricket commentators commended Rinku for his poise and match understanding. If Rinku had made a few more appearances, things for KKR might have turned out differently because he did not receive as many opportunities as he deserved.
Mohammad Nabi
Despite competing in numerous T20 leagues throughout the world, Afghanistan’s T20 captain Mohammad Nabi was denied a single appearance in the IPL 2022 due to the presence of all-rounders like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. The 37-year-old has experience in the game’s shortest format and has participated in the IPL since 2017.
At the 2022 mega auction, Kolkata Knight Riders paid INR 1 crore as the basic price for the all-rounder. Afghan players found it difficult to earn a berth in the starting XI because of the restriction on foreign players. The off-spinner might have assisted KKR in securing the playoff stage had he been given the chance to play.
Nabi, who has only participated in 17 IPL games, is one of the tournament’s underrated athletes. The off-spinner can worry any batter with his sharp cricketing mind. He may have helped KKR this season with the bat in addition to bowling. He is a player who shouldn’t have stayed on the sidelines for very long, and the team should have considered giving him a chance instead of the injured Varun Chakraborty. 3 players are underutilized by KKR.
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Sam Billings
The English wicketkeeper-batter has had several successful performances in the Indian Premier League. He has been playing in the IPL since 2016, and Kolkata Knight Riders acquired him this season for INR 2 crore at the 2022 mega auction. The spry middle-order batter is renowned for his fluid batting technique and proficient glovework.
The English cricketer is recognized as a talented cricketer with a wide variety of creative scoring plays who can attack the bowler from the very first ball. Billings played for three different organizations throughout his six seasons in the IPL. If the club management has faith in Billings, he has the ability to change the course of games and maybe a valuable asset for KKR.
In eight games during IPL 2022, the 31-year-old scored 169 runs at a strike rate of 122.46. His best effort came when he scored 36 off 24 balls in a game against the Lucknow Super Giants. Although his appearance couldn’t stop the loss, it shows that the franchise should have given him more opportunities to show off his best qualities.3 players underutilized.