Who is Aarya Desai, the player signed by KKR for the remainder of IPL 2023?

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have roped in Gujarat cricketer Aarya Desai for the reminder of IPL 2023. The move was announced via a media release as Desai will join the franchise for INR 20 lakhs. The 20-year-old made his first-class debut for Gujarat earlier this year and has one fifty in six innings.

The press release did not divulge any information about the rookie player coming in as a replacement. The two-time champions are already without the services of Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has opted out of the tournament due to personal reasons and have signed Jason Roy as his replacement.

Apart from Shakib, the Knight Riders have also been without their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer. The right-handed batter has sustained a back injury and will undergo surgery to be ready in time for the 2023 World Cup.

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KKR have two wins from three completed games in IPL 2023

KKR captain Nitish Rana and coach Chandrakant Pandit. (Credits: Twitter)

The two-time champions started their campaign with a seven-run loss against Punjab Kings. However, the Knight Riders bounced back with a massive 82-run win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Nevertheless, their most impressive victory was against the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Chasing a daunting 205 against a highly skilled bowling unit, KKR got off to a scratchy start. It came down to 29 requiring off the final over, but Rinku Singh took it upon himself to smash five sixes in the last five deliveries.

Rinku stayed unbeaten at 48 off 21 deliveries to script a memorable win for his side and took the Player of the Match award. Venkatesh Iyer top-scored with a 39-ball 83, while Nitish Rana chipped in with a valuable 45. Nitish Rana and Co. are currently battling against the SunRisers Hyderabad in Kolkata.