IPL 2020: 3 surprising player retentions before the auction 

#2 Kamlesh Nagarkoti

Is KKR correct in gambling on Kamlesh Nagarkoti's fitness?

India's victory in the 2018 U19 World Cup with Rahul Dravid as the coach was an eye-catching effort by the upcoming crop of Indian cricketers. Not only did India lift the trophy but the Men in Blue comprehensively dominated every opponent they came across. Some individual talents like Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill stole the headlines. However, pacers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi caught a lot of attention as they were regularly seen hitting the 140km/hr mark.

Kolkata Knight Riders snapped both of them along with Gill that same year. However, fate hasn't been so kind to Nagarkoti since the tournament. The youngster has faced a barrage of injuries and did not play in either the 2018 and 2019 edition of the tournament. Infact, he is yet to make his debut for KKR or play a single IPL match despite being purchased at the auction two years ago.

Such has been the brutality of his injury problems that Nagarkoti is yet to play any form of domestic cricket since February 2018. With him being a ₹3.2 crore buy, he is a huge investment by the two-time champions. With no clarity on fitness and availability on his availably for the next edition, one might have expected the franchise to release him and use that money at the auction. However, the Knight Riders have decided to show patience and back the player to come good. While it is an admirable thing to do and in line with the "culture teams" like Mumbai Indians, and Chennai Super Kings have set, one does wonder if for all his talent, can KKR afford to continue taking a risk on Nagarkoti's fitness.