IPL 2019: 3 replacement options for Anrich Nortje in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

Injuries are a part and parcel of the game. However, multiple injuries could derail a team and affect the composition and makeup of the side. Even before the start of the 12th edition of the IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have been jolted by a few injury bugs. India’s 2018 U19 World Cup-winning fast bowlers, Shivam Mavi, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti have already been ruled out. Sandeep Warrier and KC Cariappa are the replacements.

The Knight Riders have been struck with a third injury blow. Promising South African right-arm pacer Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the upcoming IPL due to a shoulder injury. He was bought by KKR at his base price of INR 20 lakhs. The 25-year-old Nortje shot into the limelight during the Mzansi Super League (MSL) late last year and earned praise from a lot of people, including AB de Villiers.

KKR who had the least number players (21) after the auction among all teams will have to scout for a replacement. Hence, here are three options that KKR could use as replacement for Anrich Nortje.

Chris Woakes

Chris Woakes first played the IPL a couple of years back and KKR was his first IPL franchise. He was bought for a price of INR 4.2 crores and did well that year as he picked up 17 wickets in 13 games.

Hence, Woakes was one of the biggest attractions during the 2018 IPL auctions. He was bought for a hefty sum of INR 7.4 crores by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). However, he failed to live up to expectation and had a disappointing start where he leaked a lot of runs and had an economy of 10.36 in the first five games. This meant that he warmed the benches for the rest of the season.

The England pacer found no buyers this time around. However, Woakes has been England’s premier ODI bowler and has done very well in the last couple of years. Woakes can bowl with the new ball and can be effective at the death as well. Also, he can be a handy batsman lower down the order. Thus, he would be a pretty good replacement for Nortje.

Kane Richardson

Kane Richardson has been in and out of the Australian limited-overs setup. However, he had an excellent Big Bash League (BBL) season where he finished at the top of the bowling charts. Representing the Melbourne Renegades, Richardson picked up 24 wickets at an average of 17.70 and a strike-rate of 13.7. Based on his BBL performances, he was called up to the Australian ODI team.

However, the South Australian pacer hasn’t played a lot of IPL either. The speedster has played just 14 games, spanning across three seasons and for three different teams. But he’s looked in good rhythm and has been playing quite a bit of white-ball cricket.

Richardson is currently in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the Australian ODI squad and will be available after March 31st. However, he can still be a good replacement for Nortje.

Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan has become a T20 specialist for England. He last played an ODI back in September 2016 but hasn’t missed a single T20I for England in the last couple of years.

In fact, since the start of the year, Jordan has been constantly playing T20 cricket. He was a part of the Sydney Thunder in the BBL and then travelled to the Caribbean as a part of the England T20I side. He also played a couple of games in the PSL as well. Moreover, he was the Player of the Series in the recent T20I series against the Windies where he had figures of 2/16, 4/6 and 0/14 in the three games.

Jordan is an excellent death bowler, a brilliant fielder and can give it a tonk with the bat as well lower down the order. Hence, he is a complete package and could be a great addition to the KKR side. Moreover, KKR have a quite inexperienced pace-attack and need an experienced pacer. Jordan fits the bill pretty well. The Barbados-born pacer was also a part of RCB’s squad when they made it to the final in the 2016 season.

Get the latest Cricket News and updates, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.