IPL 2023 Retention: 3 reasons why Shardul Thakur being traded to KKR might be a bad move

Team India all-rounder Shardul Thakur was traded from Delhi Capitals (DC) to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) retention deadline.

The 31-year-old was purchased for a whopping ₹10.75 crore by DC at the IPL 2022 mega auction. However, the franchise decided to part ways with Thakur and agreed to a trade with the Knight Riders.

KKR were the most active franchise during the trading window. They acquired the services of New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson and Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Gujarat Titans (GT). Next, news came in that they had also picked up Thakur from DC.

Reacting to his trade, the all-rounder asserted that he was happy with the deal. In a video on KKR’s official Twitter handle, Thakur stated:

“Very happy to play for the new franchise. Very happy the way trade went forward and I will always give my best. That’s what I can promise. Very excited to meet new people, make some good memories and will play cricket the hard way. So Kolkata, here I come.”

While the man himself seems to have no qualms about playing for his third franchise in as many years, we analyze three reasons why KKR might have gone wrong with the trade.

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#1 He seems to have lost his Midas touch

Shardul Thakur (left) with Virat Kohli. Pic: Getty Images

No doubt Thakur is a utility player who can be a match-winner with the ball on his day. And, of course, he is more than handy with the bat. However, over the last year or so, he seems to have lost his rhythm a bit, especially in the bowling department.

The right-arm medium pacer was unlucky not to be retained by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after a stellar IPL 2021 season. He claimed 21 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 25.09 as CSK lifted the T20 title for the fourth time. However, due to the mega auction, Chennai had to let him go.

DC purchased him at the auction for a huge sum based on his exploits for CSK and India. However, he could not repay the faith. He claimed 15 wickets in 14 matches, but he wasn’t convincing with the ball. He also had a very high economy rate of 9.79. Even by his standards, it was too much - Thakur is not known for keeping things tight.

Over the last year, the all-rounder has struggled to deliver in international cricket as well. He has hardly played any T20Is since Hardik Pandya’s comeback and was a backup in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad. Did KKR pick Thakur on reputation over form?

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#2 Too many expensive pacers in one team

Lockie Ferguson is back with KKR after being traded. Pic: IPLT20.COM

As mentioned above, Thakur is not known for his economy rate. He has an economy of more than nine in his overall IPL career spanning 75 matches. Having made his debut in the T20 league in 2015, there has not been a single season in which he has conceded runs at fewer than eight an over. His 'best' so far has been 8.25 in 2017. In three seasons, he has had an economy of over nine.

It is okay to have a bowler who goes for a few but has a knack for picking up wickets as well. In KKR’s case, though, they have filled the bowling department with fast bowlers having similar traits.

New Zealand speedster Ferguson, who was traded from GT, has an economy rate of 8.43 in his IPL career, which has seen him play 35 matches. He went at 10.76 in 2019 and nearly nine last year.

Tim Southee and Umesh Yadav are also bowlers who have a habit of giving away a few runs in exchange for wickets. While the New Zealand pacer has an economy rate of 8.53 in the T20 league, Yadav’s figure stands at 8.32. Of course, both did much better earlier this season, going at 7.86 and 7.06, respectively. But the overall numbers in this aspect are not encouraging.

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#3 KKR could have gone for better balance at the auction

Kolkata Knight Riders in a huddle. Pic: IPLT20.COM

Having already traded in Ferguson, who was a ₹10-crore purchase for GT at the IPL 2022 mega auction, the logic of going for an even more expensive player ahead of this year’s auction seems a bit baffling. It is no surprise that they had to release as many as 16 players ahead of the auction.

Even after the massive “layoff”, they are left with the smallest purse among the 10 franchises - ₹7.05 crore. They have as many as 11 slots available but will have limited options due to the low purse balance. Apart from KKR, only Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have a purse of under ₹10 crore left.

While Thakur and Ferguson might shut down critics by delivering exceptional performances for KKR in IPL 2023, the initial observation leads to the conclusion that the Kolkata franchise, not for the first time, might have got their calculations wrong.

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