The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been criticized for not having Bengali players on their side. Every other franchise in the IPL has harbored their home-grown players and has invested in them. However, KKR has always shied away from buying Bengal players in the IPL auction.
Even though the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Wriddhiman Saha, and Manoj Tiwary have plied their trade for the Purple and Gold Brigade, it has been quite a few years since a player from Bengal has represented KKR. Sayan Ghosh was the last cricketer from Bengal who was a part of the KKR squad. Ghosh was a part of this team in the year 2017.
Over the years, Bengal has emerged as a force to reckon with in the domestic circuit. With consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Vijay Hazare Trophy, Bengal is a huge force in the domestic ranks.
In this article, we take a look at 3 Bengal players whom KKR should target in the upcoming IPL 2023 auction:
1. Ishan Porel
The tall and lanky pacer from Bengal, Ishan Porel has been making inroads in the domestic circuit. He has previously been a part of the Punjab Kings (PBKS) franchise and has played 1 IPL game so far in 2021. Porel has been in hot and blistering form in the domestic circuit and in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2022-23 game of Bengal vs Uttar Pradesh, the speedster bagged 7 wickets. He can fetch a good bid in the upcoming IPL 2023 auction and KKR can most certainly target the pacer.
2. Writtick Chatterjee
Picked by the PBKS franchise in IPL 2022, Chatterjee failed to get a game and was eventually released by the management of Punjab. However, he has been a consistent player for Bengal in the domestic circuit in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. KKR can most certainly get hold of the 30-year-old all-rounder.
3. Abhimanyu Easwaran
The Bengal captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is having a good time as he recently got called up to his maiden Test series. The series against Bangladesh marks the promising opener’s first Test series at this level. He can be another opener KKR can target as they have let go of their openers in the form of Ajinkya Rahane, Aaron Finch, and Alex Hales. Easwaran has an average of 45.3 and 46.2 respectively in the 1st Class and List A formats.
Also read: IPL 2023: 3 Reasons Why CSK Should Target Kane Williamson
