3 reasons why KKR signing Dushmantha Chameera for IPL 2024 is the wrong move 

The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise has added a new pacer to their ranks after replacing Gus Atkinson with Dushmantha Chameera on Monday, February 19.

Atkinson, who was bought at a price tag of ₹1 crore during the IPL 2024 mini-auction, has withdrawn from the upcoming tournament due to scheduling conflicts and the need for workload management.

His unexpected departure led KKR to sign a replacement player in Dushmantha Chameera, who went unsold at the auctions but will now play for the two-time champions at his base price of ₹20 lakh.

Atkinson, who is currently a member of England's squad on their ongoing Test tour of India, has opted out in consultation with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

This decision opened the door for Chameera to join KKR, and his acquisition was influenced by the team's mentor, Gautam Gambhir, who reportedly holds a high regard for the Sri Lankan seamer.

While Chameera is undeniably a great seam bowling option, in this listicle, we will take a look at three possible reasons why his signing might not be the most astute of moves by the franchise.

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#1 Injury concerns

England v Sri Lanka - ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021

Despite being signed as a replacement player, Dushmantha Chameera has himself suffered several injuries throughout his career, which raises concern about his durability.

Chameera has faced recurring injury concerns, particularly calf problems, which have limited his availability and consistency in recent seasons.

An example of this is his calf injury that forced him to withdraw from the T20 World Cup in 2022 only after playing two games for Sri Lanka.

In fact, Chameera featured in not even a single T20 match across the entire 2023 season.

In the fast-paced nature of T20 cricket, where bowlers are often pushed to their limits, his susceptibility to injuries could be a cause for concern for KKR. A potential injury could disrupt the team's plans and limit Chameera's availability during crucial stages of the tournament.

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#2 KKR should've eyed a death-bowling specialist

Sri Lanka v Australia - 3rd ODI

The KKR franchise invested a significant sum of ₹24.75 crore to acquire Mitchell Starc, making him the most expensive player in IPL history. However, this limited their options for other players, resulting in only two overseas fast bowling options in Starc and Dushmantha Chameera.

While KKR boast talented Indian fast bowlers like Harshit Rana, Chetan Sakariya, and Vaibhav Arora, the team lacks a dependable option in the death overs. Although Chameera has often filled this role, his consistency in the closing stages remains questionable.

He has an economy rate close to 10 in death overs, which is high for a frontline pace bowler. Additionally, only 30 of his 118 T20 wickets have come in the last four overs of an innings, suggesting a lack of effective variations in the T20 format.

KKR could have instead targeted a specialist death bowler. Ottniel Baartman and Sean Abbott are instead two promising options with impressive performances in the recent SA20 2024 and Big Bash League (BBL) 2023/24 seasons, respectively.

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#3 Performance inconsistency

Sri Lanka v Australia - 2nd T20

At his best, Chameera can trouble batters with his raw pace and awkward bounce, resulting in wickets and economical spells.

However, there have been occasions where he has struggled to maintain line and length, conceding runs and failing to exert consistent pressure on opposition batters. This inconsistency in maintaining pressure can lead to costly overs, which can ultimately affect the team's chances of winning matches.

Chameera, who played IPL 2022 for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), competed in 12 matches and took nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.73. While he dished out a couple of decent spells for the Lucknow team, Chameera remained wicketless in six of those games.

Chameera's inconsistency in this regard could pose a significant challenge for KKR in the upcoming season.