n a crucial encounter in the Indian Premier League 2023, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are hosting Punjab Kings at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The toss went in favor of Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan, who elected to bat first. KKR, on the other hand, decided to leave out their Kiwi pacer Tim Southee from the playing XI, continuing their trend of not playing him in the tournament.
Why is Tim Southee not playing today?
Tim Southee, who has only played two games this season, has been highly ineffective with the ball, leaking 80 runs in six overs at an economy rate of 13.17. He last played in KKR’s game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he gave away 25 runs in just two overs and failed to take a wicket. Since then, Southee has not featured in KKR’s squad and has been left out of their impact substitutes list as well. Southee also featured in the game when these two teams met last time in the 2nd game of the season. The pacer was smashed for 54 runs in his 4 overs but had managed to pick up the wickets of Prabhsimran Singh and Jitesh Sharma
In place of Southee, KKR has named Lockie Ferguson, another New Zealand fast bowler, as one of their impact substitutes. However, since KKR is batting second in the match, it is more likely that the hard-hitting opener Jason Roy will feature in the playing XI instead of Ferguson.
KKR’s decision to drop Southee from their squad has been a topic of debate among cricket fans and experts alike. While some have criticized KKR’s management for not giving Southee enough chances to prove himself, others have lauded their decision to drop him after a poor run.
It is worth mentioning that KKR has been struggling to find a winning combination throughout the tournament, which is evident from their constant changes in the playing XI. The team has made several changes to their squad, often dropping players who have failed to perform and experimenting with new combinations.
With the playoffs just around the corner, KKR will be looking to secure a win against Punjab Kings to strengthen their position in the league table. The Kolkata-based franchise is currently sitting in 8th place with 8 points, while Punjab Kings are in 7th place with 10 points.
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