3 reasons why KKR can have their worst IPL season in 2023

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will begin their IPL 2023 campaign against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday, April 1.

After finishing seventh last year, the Knight Riders will look to come up with an improved performance this season to add to their two IPL titles.

However, skipper Shreyas Iyer's untimely injury has been a massive concern for the franchise. He is likely to miss the first half of the tournament and Nitish Rana has been appointed as the stand-in skipper.

Shreyas' injury comes as a big blow to KKR given that the franchise heavily rely on his batting and leadership abilities. His absence will have an immense impact on the overall balance of the team.

On that note, let's take a look at three reasons why KKR could have their worst season in IPL 2023.

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#1 KKR lack quality Indian batters

The sudden injury to Shreyas Iyer is expected to make a massive dent in KKR's chances this year. In his absence, the Knight Riders lack a batter who is currently in the reckoning for the Indian team.

They have the likes of Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, and Nitish Rana in their ranks but the trio are yet to set the stage on fire.

Venkatesh showed a lot of promise in 2021 but failed to live up to expectations last season and also flattered to deceive in India colors.

Rinku, on the other hand, has only 17 IPL matches under his belt, while Rana is still considered to be an underachiever despite playing 91 IPL games.

The lack of quality Indian batters who can win matches single-handedly could hurt KKR's campaign in IPL 2023.

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#2 Andre Russell's fitness

Andre Russell is one of the fiercest all-rounders in the shortest format at present. However, hit fitness remains a concern for the team management.

Just a few days into the training session, Russell was spotted holding his knees a couple of times while bowling. KKR have had to sweat over his fitness in the past and it is likely to be the same this year as well.

If his struggles with fitness continue, the Kolkata-based franchise are going to have a tough time in this year's cash-rich league.

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#3 Inexperienced captain and coach

Shah Rukh Khan co-owned franchise appointed Chandrakant Pandit as their head coach ahead of IPL 2023. The position was vacant after Brendon McCullum left the job to join England's Test side.

Pandit is known to be a great tactician and enjoys immense success at the domestic level. However, he hasn't coached any high-profile teams in the past and his lack of experience in managing star international cricketers could be a hindrance.

On a similar note, Nitish Rana, who has been appointed as the stand-in captain, is relatively inexperienced as a skipper. While he has no previous experience leading an IPL side, the all-rounder has captained his state Delhi in 12 T20s in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, winning eight matches and losing four.

The lack of experience of both coach and skipper could be a sign of concern for the franchise in IPL 2023.