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Kolkata Knight Riders, who started their IPL 2023 campaign on a losing note with a seven-run loss against the Punjab Kings, will soon get a much-needed boost through the inclusion of Litton Das.
Das is currently preparing for a one-off Test match against Ireland. He is slated to leave for the IPL after finishing his national commitments.
Over the course of the last six months, he has been in sublime touch and has been a prolific run-scorer for Bangladesh across formats. He also had a stellar time with the bat in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and could be an integral part of the KKR outfit.
With Shakib Al Hasan already making himself unavailable for the tournament, KKR could be short of options. Das will have a brief stay in IPL as he is set to leave on May 1 for Bangladesh's ODI series against Ireland, starting on May 9.
The 28-year-old's availability for the second half of the tournament will depend on KKR's position in the points table and whether they qualify for the playoffs. For now, the two-time champions will be eagerly waiting for Das to fire in the limited matches.
While Rahmanullah Gurbaz looked good during KKR's opening contest against the Punjab Kings, he could make way for Das given the form he has been in. With that in mind, here's a look at 3 reasons why Litton Das could be key to KKR’s IPL success this year.
# 1 Sheer consistency
While Litton Das has always been a natural talent and his effortless strokeplay has made many heads turn, his consistency has been a major issue in his career so far. However, he has taken his batting to a whole new level in the last few months and has found the formula to succeed at the highest level.
Das was at his prolific best during the white-ball series (ODI and T20I) against Ireland. His 73 against a star-studded English attack was instrumental in Bangladesh's thrashing of world T20 champions England at home, and winning the series 3-0.
Once he is available, he should walk into the KKR XI. He will look to get some runs under his belt in the one-off Test against Ireland before heading to India for the cash-rich league.
# 2 Fearless attitude
Litton Das’s strokeplay notwithstanding, he is a fearless character who loves taking the bowlers head-on. While he has shown glimpses of his prowess in previous years, his sudden turnaround and the nack of taking down any top-class bowlers have made him the player he is today.
His whirlwind half-century in the 2022 T20 World Cup game against India got Bangladesh within the threshold of a famous victory before surrendering their advantage towards the latter stages.
Das tackled Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar well as he raced to a 27-ball 60 before an unfortunate run-out ended his innings. Once available, he could well be the difference for KKR.
# 3 Ability to maneuver the field
Litton Das' game is much more than just brute power and big shots. He doesn’t have too many chinks in his armor and has a sound defence to go with pleasing ground shots.
If KKR loses early wickets, Das can drop anchor and play the waiting game before launching in the final overs. He is a sweet timer of the ball and books to find gaps, especially in the mid-phases of the game.
KKR will be hopeful that his induction into the squad can turn their fortunes around.
