West Indies hard-hitting batter Johnson Charles has been named replacement for Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL 2023. He replaced Bangladeshi wicketkeeper and batter Litton Das who withdrew from the tournament due to family reasons.
Kolkata Knight Riders will face Sunrisers Hyderabad in match 47 of IPL 2023 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. KKR has 6 points and need to win to stay alive in the tournament. They are currently at the number 8th spot in the points table. They will take on SRH tomorrow, Punjab Kings on 8 May, Rajasthan Royals on 11 May, Chennai Super Kings on 14 May and the final game against Lucknow Super Giants on May 20.
Charles was in sublime form as he smashed a century against South Africa in the 2nd T20I match at SuperSport Park, Centurion. Despite his brilliance, West Indies could not defend a big target. Johnson Charles came into the West Indies T20I squad after a gap of 6 years in October 2022. He made 39 ball century. Charles played in the franchise leagues including in Caribbean Premier League, Bangladesh Premier League, Sri Lanka Premier League, and Afghanistan League.
Charles was a part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016. He has opened for 179 during his 219 T20 innings and puts enough pressure on the opponent bowlers right from the word go. This will bring stability at the top of the order having 6 opening partnerships in nine games so far. The average first-wicket partnership for KKR is 21.33. Jason Roy and Jagadeesan put on 83 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Charles was bought by the KKR franchise for Rs 50 Lakhs and has experience of batting in the middle order. He could be used as a middle-order batter that will help KKR post decent totals. With Sunil Narine and Andre Russell in the playing XI, Charles might not get many games that might dent their chances of playoffs.
Litton Das will feature against Ireland
Litton Das left the KKR camp due to attending a medical family emergency. He was bought by the KKR camp at the auction last December. Das played just one match in the tournament against Delhi Capitals. He would have missed the last three KKR matches due to international duties.
He has been called up by the Bangladesh team for the three-match ODI series against Ireland in England. These three ODI matches are a part of the ODI Super League which will decide the 8th spot. Bangladesh already qualified directly for the 2023 World Cup.
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