After seven long years, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made it to the finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and are set to lock horns with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) tomorrow. But they’ll need to be careful, since they lost the two games they played against CSK in the league stages.
Click start to play today’s IPL-themed Crossword and find out how much you know about KKR.
Now that tomorrow’s IPL finals will decide the winner of the 2021 tournament, fans and franchises are already looking ahead to the next IPL mega auctions, scheduled for February 2022. Players will be bid for enormous amounts of money.
But there are a few underperforming players from this season who may not see a return to their teams next season. Here’s the general consensus among various cricket tracking websites:
1. Dan Christian
Purchased for 4.8 crore rupees (Dh2.34 million) by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) before the start of the 2021 IPL season, the veteran Australian all-rounder was expected to showcase quality cricket, with dependable finishers and consistent fours. Unfortunately, he didn’t get the opportunity to play many games, with RCB’s other big signing, New Zealander Kyle Jamieson playing the majority of games this season. When Christian did play in RCB’s last match against Rajasthan Royals, he didn’t impress, with 21 runs in two overs. His time in RCB, therefore, seems to be in jeopardy.
2. Jaydev Unadkat
The Indian pacer had a spectacular IPL season in 2017, when he played with the now-defunct team Rising Pune Supergiants. He picked up 24 wickets and was one of the main reasons why the team reached the finals that year, so naturally, everyone had high expectations from Unadkat. This season, after an intense bidding war, Rajasthan Royals bought him over for 11.5 crore rupees (Dh5.63 million). Although he received plenty of opportunities, Unadkat’s wicket-taking streak has not been the same – he took just 11 wickets in 15 matches. Many think he hasn’t lived up to his hefty price tag.
3. Jhye Richardson
Bought by Punjab Kings for a whopping 14 crore rupees (Dh6.8 million), the Australian bowler had a solid wicket-taking reputation going for him. But in the three matches he played for Punjab Kings, he took only three wickets and gave away 117 runs in 66 balls. With an economy rate of 10.64, he wasn’t as effective as the franchise expected him to be. He also made himself unavailable for the UAE leg of the IPL, further adding to his unimpressive performance.
Do you think the above three players will return in the next IPL? Play today’s Crossword and let us know at games@gulfnews.com.
