IPL 2023: England opener Jason Roy joins Kolkata Knight Riders for Season 16

Dubai: Two-time Indian Premier League champions Kolkata Knight Riders have roped in England opener Jason Roy as a replacement for Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for the Season 16.

In a press release issued by the League, the 32-year-old right-hander will be returning to the Knight Riders’ set up after joining the franchise for a price of Rs28 million from his base price of Rs15 million.

Back injury

Shakib Al Hasan has confirmed his unavailability for the season, while the team’s batting wears a depleted look in the absence of skipper Shreyas Iyer, who has been ruled out of the tournament after suffering a back injury during India’s Test series against Australia.

Roy, who earlier featured in the 2017 and 2018 seasons, last played in the 2021 season for Sunrisers Hyderabad. In 2021, he played five games, scoring 150 runs, including a half-century. The 32-year-old has played 64 T20Is for England, scoring 1522 runs at a strike-rate of 137.61 with eight fifties.