Last Updated on 2 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: KKR sign Jason Roy for Rs 2.8 crore | Kolkata Knight Riders pick up Jason Roy for IPL 2023
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed English opener Jason Roy as a replacement for Rs 2.8 crore as they deal with the absence of two of their high-profile players – skipper Shreyas Iyer and Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Ak Hasan. Roy previously went unsold at the auction in Kochi in December at a base price of Rs 1.5 crore.
So far, Roy’s limited participation in the IPL has been quite conspicuous despite his reputation of being one of the most destructive and consistent openers in limited-overs cricket over the years. He has played only 13 IPL matches since his first appearance in the league back in 2017 for the now defunct Gujarat Lions.
Roy averages 29.91 with a strike rate of 129.02 in these IPL games. However, he will be expected to shoulder greater responsibility and possibly even play an important role for KKR in a campaign when they have to work their way around Iyer’s injury. The India batting star holds that batting unit together as he has the ability to play the long innings around whom others can come and deliver their short, impactful knocks.
The KKR batting wore a pretty inexperienced look lacking both quality and experience in their opening game of the season against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali last Saturday. Their top-order comprised Afghan wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Punjab batsman Mandeep Singh with skipper Nitish Rana, Anukul Roy and Venkatesh Iyer to follow the duo.
Roy will add a ton lot of strength to the batting unit with his flair and dynamism. He has a natural boundary-hitting ability that is tough to replicate and the 32-year-old’s quick starts will set the base for the likes of Andre Russell and Sunil Narine to fire with the bat later on. Moreover, he will arguably relish the opportunity to play in the batting-friendly track that the Eden Gardens often dishes out.