TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 has witnessed some significant squad changes, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) making key replacements to bolster their respective lineups. Allah Ghazanfar and Keshav Maharaj added a new dimension to the teams, sparking excitement among fans and pundits alike.

Allah Ghazanfar Joins Kolkata Knight Riders

To strengthen their spin department, Kolkata Knight Riders have named Allah Ghazanfar the replacement for the injured Mujeeb Ur Rahman. The 16-year-old offspinner from Afghanistan brings youthful energy and potential to the KKR squad, marking a significant addition to their roster.

See Also: IPL 2024: Netizens welcome Riyan Parag 2.0

With appearances in 2 ODIs and a handful of T20s and List A matches, Ghazanfar has showcased his talent and potential to become a future star. His inclusion in the KKR squad adds depth to their spin bowling options and provides them with a promising talent for the future. He joins KKR for his base price of INR 20 Lac.

Reason for Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s Replacement

The decision to replace Mujeeb Ur Rahman was necessitated by his injury, which left a void in the KKR lineup. Rahman’s absence is a blow to the team, but the addition of Ghazanfar provides them with a fresh perspective and new opportunities in the tournament.

Keshav Maharaj’s Inclusion in Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals have bolstered their bowling attack by adding South African cricketer Keshav Maharaj to their squad instead of Prasidh Krishna. Maharaj brings a wealth of experience and versatility to the team, enhancing their options in both bowling and batting departments.

Keshav Maharaj, a seasoned campaigner in international cricket, boasts an impressive record across all formats. South African cricketer, has played 27 T20Is, 44 ODIs and 50 Tests and has scalped 237 wickets in international cricket. Additionally, he has played 159 T20s, picking up 130 wickets and can chip in with some handy runs. RR have brought him on board for his base price of INR 50 Lac. His presence will support the team’s existing spin options and strengthen their bowling lineup.

Reason for Prasidh Krishna’s Replacement

Prasidh Krishna’s absence due to injury prompted Rajasthan Royals to seek a replacement to maintain the balance of their squad. While Krishna’s absence will be felt, Maharaj’s inclusion offers the team added depth and flexibility in their bowling strategy.

Rajasthan Royals faced a setback with the withdrawal of star Australian spinner Adam Zampa due to personal reasons. Zampa’s absence leaves a void in the team’s spin department, but with Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the squad, they need more resources to fill the gap.

Role of Keshav Maharaj in Rajasthan Royals

Rajasthan Royals will likely utilize Keshav Maharaj as a backup spin option alongside their primary spinners. With his experience and skill set, Maharaj adds depth to the team’s bowling lineup and provides valuable support in crucial situations.

Rajasthan Royals updated squad: Sanju Samson (c & wk), Jos Buttler (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sandeep Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal, Riyan Parag, Navdeep Saini, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Trent Boult, Donovan Ferreira, Kuldeep Sen, Kunal Rathore, Avesh Khan, Rovman Powell, Shubham Dubey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Abid Mushtaq, Nandre Burger, Keshav Maharaj.

Kolkata Knight Riders updated squad: Shreyas Iyer (c), Nitish Rana, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Vaibhav Arora, KS Bharat (wk), Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Gus Atkinson, Sakib Hussain, Allah Ghazanfar. 

World’s most expensive franchise cricket, the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, is all set to begin on 22nd March 2024. This league has a special place in the hearts of cricket fans as well as cricketing players. Every year, the tournament sees top players from around the globe showcasing their skills in intense and thrilling matches. However, injuries, personal reasons, and other factors sometimes lead to players exiting the tournament. Here’s the list of major players who are already out of IPL 2024:

Mohammed Shami (Gujarat Titans):

Star India’s pacer underwent successful surgery for a right heel problem last month in London, which he suffered during the ODI World Cup 2023. He was the leading wicket-taker in the previous edition of the ODI World Cup, picking 24 wickets in just seven matches. But now, he won’t be available for the IPL 2024. In the last of the IPL, Shami bagged 28 wickets in 17 games at an economy rate of 8.03. For GT, this will be a major void, and they have yet to announce a replacement for him.

Prasidh Krishna (Rajasthan Royals):

Prasidh is the second Indian Pacer in this list to be ruled out of IPL 2024 after undergoing surgery on his left proximal quadriceps tendon in February. Now, he won’t feature for the Royals for the second consecutive time in the IPL. He played the last match in the Ranji Trophy for Karnataka against Gujarat in January 2024. Rajasthan Royals have yet to announce his. Krishna has played 51 matches and took 49 wickets, with an average of 34.76. In the IPL Auction 2024, the Rajasthan franchise acquired him for the whooping price of Rs 10.00 Cr.

See Also: Shami Ruled Out of IPL 2024, Eyes Return via BGT 2024-25

Mark Wood (Lucknow Super Giants):

The Premium English pacer, who is known for his lethal deliveries, was pulled out by his cricket board from the upcoming IPL season to manage his workload. ECB and Wood were concerned about the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, and that’s why Wood pulled his name from the league. Lucknow Franchise bought him for Rs. 7.5 crore in IPL 2022 auction but he missed the entire tournament due to an elbow injury. But in IPL 2023, Wood showcased his premium bowling skills by taking a fifer in the first game. However, he was featured in just 4 games and picked 11 wickets. LSG named Shamar Joseph “the hero of Gabba Test” as Wood’s replacement for the upcoming season of IPL for Rs. 3 crore.

Jason Roy (Kolkata Knight Riders):

Jason Roy, a destructive top-order batter who can change the time for his team, has pulled out of the IPL due to personal reasons. This is not the first time Roy has pulled out his name from IPL for personal reasons; previously, in 2020 and 2022, he also pulled out from the entire tournament. In the last season, he played 8 games for KKR, and in all matches, he gave a good start for the franchise with a strike rate of 151.60. KKR announced Phil Salt as his replacement. Another hard-hitting English top-order batter who went unsold in the IPL auction 2024, but his impressive performance against West Indies in a T20I series marked his place in IPL 2024.

Harry Brook (Delhi Capitals):

Young English stalwart Harry Brook decided not to play in the IPL 2024 due to some family problems after the death of his grandmother. In the IPL 2024 auction, Brook was acquired by Delhi Capitals for Rs. 4 crore. In IPL 2023, Sunrisers Hyderabad brought him for the whooping price of 13.25 crores, but he wasn’t able to leave a lasting impression and could only manage to score 190 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 123.38. Delhi has yet to announce his replacement.

The Indian team clinched their second consecutive victory against Ireland, showcasing an even more dominant performance in comparison to the initial T20I match. Opting to bat first, India saw a robust start from the opening combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, the Irish bowlers responded in a sound fashion by claiming 2 wickets within a span of 3 deliveries, placing India in a dicey situation. Nevertheless, the partnership between Ruturaj and Sanju Samson had different intentions, as they meticulously crafted a 69-run alliance, firmly establishing India in a commanding position.

Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube shouldered the responsibility of adding the final flourishes, accumulating 41 runs during the concluding two overs, thereby injecting crucial momentum into the Indian team’s performance. Conversely, the Irish side encountered a shaky commencement as Prasidh Krishna swiftly made his mark with early breakthroughs through his brisk, hard length deliveries. Andrew Balbirnie emerged as the pillar of Ireland’s innings, sustaining their hopes with a series of captivating shots. Despite Mark Adair’s impressive display showcase of power hitting in the death overs, the pursuit of 185 proved futile for Ireland, arriving a tad too late.

Read More: Performance Analysis: Jasprit Bumrah’s Triumphant Return to Dominate the Pitch against Ireland – Cricket Winner

In this article, we will delve into the performance of Prasidh Krishna and Andrew Balbirnie by utilizing the pitch map and shot-type map.

Prasidh Krishna’s Commanding Spell

A small introduction to the pitch map for our new viewers. The purple dots represent the dot deliveries, the red dot represents the dismissals, the green dot represents the boundaries conceded and the blue dot is runs conceded other than boundaries.

The above pitch map are the deliveries bowled in the first two overs (left to right) of Prasidh Krishna’s spell. In this spell he conceded just 3 runs while he picked up two wickets. A quick glance of the chart gives us an idea on how Prasidh’s lines have stretched between the middle stump and outside the off stump which is the perfect channel to bowl at. He has always been a bowler who is skillful at executing the hard length deliveries, which are pitched between the good length and short length region.

He secured the initial two wickets by delivering a brisk, short-length ball that landed approximately around the 5th stump channel. This enticed the batsmen to attempt a pull shot, but the additional pace of the delivery led to a mistimed shot, resulting in the ball being caught comfortably by the fielder. He bowled much better lines in the second over thus keeping the batters on their toes.

The above pitch map are the deliveries bowled in the 3rd and 4th over (left to right) of Prasidh Krishna’s spell. He came in the latter stages of the innings and bowled the 15th and 19th over of the innings. In the former over, he relied completely on the back of the length and short length deliveries, while maintaining tight lines.

When he came back in the 19th over, the game was almost done and dusted. While he did try to bowl some hard lengths, he got better results with the yorker and low full toss deliveries. While he was slightly inaccurate with his lengths, his yorkers were absolutely pinpoint and he would hope to improve on his consistency in the death overs.

Andrew Balbirnie’s resilient innings

Andrew Balbirnie’s display highlighted a wide array of magnificent and conventional cricketing shots. Particularly impressive was his impeccable execution of the back foot pull shot, accounting for nearly 30 percent of his overall runs. Generally, batsmen tend to accumulate more runs with front foot shots, but Balbirnie’s innings stood out for the substantial portion of runs garnered through backfoot play, amounting to approximately 52 percent of his total runs.

He also showed prowess in the sweep shot with close to 20 percent of his runs accumulated with this shot. Likewise, his adept flick shots didn’t go unnoticed, contributing to 20 percent of his total runs scored.

The last few years have been really tough for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Ever since they made a comeback in 2018, they have roped in some big names but the results achieved weren’t favorable on most occasions. But every new season gives an opportunity to start afresh and the Royals are ready to grab it with both hands. The RR squad for IPL 2022 looks highly competitive. The franchise has invested to have the optimum number of match-winners across departments. Not just the players, but the team has tried to rope in experts like Lasith Malinga to strengthen the core with their practical knowledge.

RR Players to look out for, after this IPL Mega Auction.

As the team gears up for a new season, let’s have a look for the players to watch out for:

Yuzvendra Chahal: Years after playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the ace Indian wrist-spinner is set to play for what would be his third team in the IPL. Chahal has purchased at a price of Rs 6.50 crore at the mega auctions. One of the leading Indian spinners of the format, Chahal has 247 wickets in T20s from 225 games. He has been in top form lately and his spell can be match-winning for the Royals.

Devdutt Padikkal: Another player who played a massive role in RCB’s upliftment in the past couple of seasons is Devdutt Padikkal. He has got less chance in Indian colors but IPL is a platform that has provided him with a special identity. The Karnataka batter has been a find of the league and consistency is the key to his success. On Indian pitches, he is almost impossible to be contained and once he starts hitting, he can toy with any bowler. And if records are concerned, he has 1829 runs from 54 games.

Must Read: Looking Over James Anderson and Stuart Broad’s Journey with the new ball

Shimron Hetmyer: 31 IPL games and more than 500 runs at a strike rate of over 151 – this is what makes Hetmyer a favorite option to go within the final XI. Be it clearing the fence or taking the finishing the game successfully, the Caribbean young batter can do it all very easily. RR spent a whopping sum of Rs 8.50 crore. The franchise has shown faith in him and now it’s Hetmyer’s turn to prove them right.

Prasidh Krishna: Fans expected Kolkata Knight Riders to have Prasidh back in the auctions but RR snapped him away at a price of Rs 10 crore. The right-arm fast bowler is one of the players to have starred in the league before making an international debut. When it comes to death blowing, Prasidh will be there to do the job with perfection. And under Malinga’s guidance, he can turn himself into a lethal weapon.

Sanju Samson: This season, the focus will be on Sanju Samson due to two major reasons. First, it would be interesting to see how he leads a team full of top-performers and secondly, his own batting form. He featured in the recently-concluded T20Is against Sri Lanka at home as the Indian selectors showed faith in him. In return, Sanju didn’t disappoint either as he played some crucial cameos to ensure India’s win.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had also said that Sanju is in the team’s plan for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup which is scheduled to be held in Australia later this year. In that case, he will be expected to talk louder with the bat to not only lead his team to newer heights but for his betterment after the tournament ends. Not just the players, but the team has tried to rope in experts like Lasith Malinga to strengthen the core with their practical knowledge.