3 players KKR shouldn't have released ahead of the IPL 2024 auction

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have released 12 players ahead of the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, which will be held in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19. The two-time IPL champions now have plenty of slots to fill, as well as a decent purse of ₹32.7 crore remaining.

KKR's main intention during the releases was to get rid of the two hugely expensive contracts on their roster - those of Shardul Thakur and Lockie Ferguson. Both players didn't have great campaigns in IPL 2023 and were always going to be released.

At the same time, however, there were a few names Kolkata released who could've contributed to the franchise. These players aren't as popular as the aforementioned duo but are canny operators who still belong at the IPL level.

KKR's squad ahead of IPL 2024 auction: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Jason Roy, Sunil Narine, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy.

Here are three players KKR shouldn't have released ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.

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#3 Mandeep Singh

Mandeep Singh has never been able to do justice to his potential at the IPL level, with an average of 20.8 and a strike rate of 123.89 in 111 matches in the prestigious league.

KKR picked Mandeep as a backup, and he played three games in IPL 2023. He scored only 14 runs, though, and was released by the Knight Riders. However, the experienced batter could've been an excellent backup for the franchise.

Mandeep recently led Punjab to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title and has displayed decent form in domestic cricket. Indian batters will be hard to come by at the IPL 2024 auction, and KKR might not be able to find backups who are significantly better.

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#2 David Wiese

David Wiese in action: New Zealand v Namibia - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

David Wiese is a veteran of the T20 game, having excelled in the format at the international level as well as in franchise leagues around the world. While he hasn't played a consistent run of games in the IPL, like Mandeep, he is a capable backup.

Wiese was signed by KKR as a backup for Andre Russell, and he even turned out in a couple of matches last season. The Namibia all-rounder's cutters, experience, death-bowling ability, and ball-striking make him a valuable addition to any shortest-format side.

Kolkata now have to search for a man who can supplement the injury-prone Russell, something they have gotten used to doing over the years.

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#1 Tim Southee

There are few all-format bowlers as good as Tim Southee

Tim Southee has been in the IPL since 2011 and has played 54 matches in the league, with 47 wickets at an economy rate of 8.67. In the recent past, he has adapted to the demands of the modern game and become a useful all-phase bowler.

In IPL 2022, Southee played nine matches and returned 14 wickets at an economy rate of 7.86. He featured only twice last season but has been active on the international circuit for New Zealand.

A bowler who has excellent cutters and a powerplay threat, Southee is a rare commodity among overseas pacers. He has plenty of smarts to fall back on and can add leadership value within the dressing room and on the field.

Quality overseas fast bowlers are always difficult to come by in mini-auctions, and KKR might not be able to replace Southee without shelling out a big sum. Moreover, having released Ferguson, they will probably need to target not one but two non-Indian quicks.