Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Announce Replacement for Jason Roy Ahead of IPL 2024
Just two weeks prior to the commencement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, former champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have disclosed their choice for replacing England batsman Jason Roy, who withdrew from IPL 2024 citing personal reasons.
Roy was enlisted by Knight Riders for IPL 2023 following the unavailability of skipper Shreyas Iyer and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in the previous season. The England opener was acquired by KKR at his base price of ₹1.5 crore. As per a media release shared by the IPL regarding KKR’s squad for the 2024 season, it was announced that Phil Salt will step in as Roy’s replacement for the upcoming campaign.
Salt, who represented Delhi Capitals (DC) in the previous season, went unsold at the IPL 2024 auction. IPL 2024 marks Salt’s second season in the league, and the England batsman joins KKR at his reserve price of INR 1.5 crore. Salt gained attention after smashing two consecutive T20I centuries against the West Indies in December last year, including a rapid 48-ball century in the 4th T20I at Trinidad, which stands as the joint-fastest for England.
In terms of international experience, Salt has featured in 19 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 21 T20Is for England. Notably, the 27-year-old made his IPL debut against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Arun Jaitley Stadium last year. At IPL 2023, Salt finished as DC’s third-highest run-scorer behind Axar Patel and David Warner, accumulating 218 runs in nine games. Comparatively, former KKR batsman Roy amassed 285 runs in eight games for the team last season.
In another update, KKR had earlier selected Dushmantha Chameera as Gus Atkinson’s replacement for IPL 2024. The Sri Lankan fast bowler joined KKR at his reserve price of INR 50 lakh. Under the leadership of Iyer, Kolkata Knight Riders will kick off their IPL 2024 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens on March 23.
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