"Varun Chakravarthy can also be the Impact Player" - Aakash Chopra on KKR's bowling heading into IPL 2023

Aakash Chopra reckons Varun Chakravarthy could be one of the 'Impact Player' options for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2023.

The Kolkata-based side will start their campaign in the tournament with an away game against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Mohali on Saturday, April 1. While the two-time champions have a well-rounded bowling attack heading into the tournament, they have been hit hard in the batting department due to Shreyas Iyer's potential unavailability.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra reflected on the Kolkata Knight Riders bowling and opined that the franchise could use Varun Chakravarthy as an Impact Player in IPL 2023, saying:

"They have options in bowling. You can use either Vaibhav Arora or Kulwant Khejrolia as the Impact Player. If the ball is turning, you can use your spinner as the Impact Player. I feel Varun Chakravarthy can also be the Impact Player because you won't need his batting."

The former Indian opener pointed out that KKR have two potent Indian seamers in the form of Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur, elaborating:

"Umesh Yadav bowled extremely well with the new ball last year. I expect the same, at least on the home ground because the ball will swing there. So Umesh Yadav is one and along with him in the Indian bowling you have Shardul Thakur."

Chopra added that KKR have excellent spin-bowling options as well, observing:

"He (Shardul) can be slightly expensive but is a wicket-taker. You have two spinners in the form of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine and if you want, you can play Anukul Roy as well. So this base is covered, you are absolutely fine."

Varun Chakravarthy picked up only six wickets in the 11 matches he played in IPL 2022 and conceded an average of 8.51 runs per over. Sunil Narine managed only nine wickets in 14 games but had an exceptional economy rate of 5.57 last season.

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"Rule him out at your own peril" - Aakash Chopra on Andre Russell as an all-rounder for KKR

Andre Russell was KKR's highest wicket-taker in IPL 2022. [P/C: iplt20.com]

While acknowledging that Andre Russell's fitness is always a concern, Chopra pointed out that the Jamaican all-rounder can prove to be KKR's game-changer with both bat and ball, stating:

"There is always an issue about Andre Russell's fitness but Andre Russell is Andre Russell - rule him out at your own peril. He is a gun player who can actually take the attack to the opposition and blow away the opposition."

"When he comes to bowl, he picks up two-three wickets in an over, but he is also the same bowler who can concede 50 runs in four overs."

Russell smashed 335 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 174.47 in IPL 2022. He also snared 17 wickets although he proved quite expensive, conceding an average of 9.86 runs per over.