n a vital encounter within the Indian Premier League 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are internet hosting Punjab Kings on the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The toss went in favor of Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who elected to bat first. KKR, however, determined to go away out their Kiwi pacer Tim Southee from the taking part in XI, persevering with their pattern of not taking part in him within the match.
Why is Tim Southee not taking part in in the present day?
Tim Southee, who has solely performed two video games this season, has been extremely ineffective with the ball, leaking 80 runs in six overs at an economic system price of 13.17. He final performed in KKR’s sport in opposition to the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the place he gave away 25 runs in simply two overs and didn’t take a wicket. Since then, Southee has not featured in KKR’s squad and has been neglected of their affect substitutes listing as properly. Southee additionally featured within the sport when these two groups met final time within the 2nd sport of the season. The pacer was smashed for 54 runs in his 4 overs however had managed to select up the wickets of Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma
Instead of Southee, KKR has named Lockie Ferguson, one other New Zealand quick bowler, as considered one of their affect substitutes. Nevertheless, since KKR is batting second within the match, it’s extra seemingly that the hard-hitting opener Jason Roy will characteristic within the taking part in XI as an alternative of Ferguson.
KKR’s choice to drop Southee from their squad has been a subject of debate amongst cricket followers and consultants alike. Whereas some have criticized KKR’s administration for not giving Southee sufficient probabilities to show himself, others have lauded their choice to drop him after a poor run.
It’s value mentioning that KKR has been struggling to discover a profitable mixture all through the match, which is obvious from their fixed adjustments within the taking part in XI. The crew has made a number of adjustments to their squad, usually dropping gamers who’ve didn’t carry out and experimenting with new mixtures.
With the playoffs simply across the nook, KKR will probably be seeking to safe a win in opposition to Punjab Kings to strengthen their place within the league desk. The Kolkata-based franchise is at the moment sitting in eighth place with 8 factors, whereas Punjab Kings are in seventh place with 10 factors.
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