The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to commence on March 31. All the teams have began their preparations while some franchises are busy finding replacements for injured players. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, is likely to get added to the long injury list. His back injury has resurfaced yet again. He didn't even in the fourth and final Test against Australia in Ahmedabad after fielding for two days. Perhaps, even the India skipper Rohit Sharma admitted in the post-match presser that Iyer's injury is not looking good at the moment.
Iyer is more or less out of the upcoming ODI series against Australia and this puts his participation in IPL 2023 in serious doubt. Though he might not miss the entire season, Iyer might miss out on at least a few matches as it has been reported that the scans of his back are not encouraging. Hence, KKR might have to look at other captaincy options in case, he is unavailable. Here we bring you three captaincy options for KKR if Shreyas Iyer is not available:
Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's back scans not encouraging, doubtful for Australia ODIs
3 Captaincy Options for KKR if Shreyas Iyer is injured in IPL 2023:
1. Andre Russell
Andre Russell has been KKR's go-to man in crunch situations. Even in this case, the franchise might turn towards him to fill in for Iyer if it is stop-gap arrangement. Russell's all-round prowess is known to everyone. He has played for KKR for the most part of his IPL career and has been a match-winner for them. Overall in the cash-rich league, the West Indies all-rounder has featured in 98 matches smashing 2035 runs at an impeccable strike-rate of 177.88 with 10 fifties to his name. He has also accounted for 89 scalps so far with a five-wicket haul to his name. Russell likes to lead from the front and his performance might go a level up after becoming the skipper of the side.
2. Sunil Narine
Another West Indies player Sunil Narine has been a top performer for KKR over the years. He has not only given match-winning performances with the ball but with the bat as well opening the innings most of the times. Narine has played only for KKR in his entire IPL career and this shows how valuable player he is for the franchise. In 148 IPL matches, he has picked up 152 wickets at a brilliant economy of 6.63 with a five-wicket haul to his name too. With the bat, Narine has mustered 1025 runs at a strike-rate of 162.7. Narine also has the experience of leading a team in other leagues too and this makes him a prime candidate to replace Iyer if he is injured and misses out a few matches.
3. Nitish Rana
Nitish Rana is another safe player who can be made the captain. He is one of the players who will play all 14 league matches for the team and has also played a lot of matches for the franchise in his career. Nitish Rana has played for Mumbai Indians as well apart from Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL. Overall, he has played 91 matches after making his debut in 2016. He has scored 2181 runs at an average of almost 28 at a strike-rate of 134.22. Rana bowls occasional off-spin as well that makes him a part-time option available as well. He has bowled in 18 innings so far picking up 7 wickets. Rana has also led Delhi in domestic cricket and that experience might work for him if he is made the captain in Iyer's absence.
