"Ghor anarth" - Fans react as KKR choose Nitish Rana over Andre Russell as skipper for IPL 2023

Andre Russell was one of the frontrunners for KKR captaincy in Shreyas Iyer
Andre Russell was one of the frontrunners for KKR captaincy in Shreyas Iyer's absence. (Pics: Twitter)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Andre Russell was touted as one of the frontrunners to lead the side by many in the absence of Shreyas Iyer in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).

However, the Kolkata-based franchise handed the position to an Indian player, naming Nitish Rana as the captain on Monday, March 27.

Russell joined hands with KKR in 2014 and was soon elevated to their core group, thanks to his impactful performances with both bat and ball. Given his long association with the franchise and experience of playing T20 cricket all over the world, the West Indian cricketer was considered one of the best candidates to lead the franchise.

The announcement took many fans by surprise, who expressed their disappointment on social media. Here are some of the top reactions on Twitter:

While certain fans were unhappy with the decision, a few opined that the team management made the right move by not adding extra pressure on Andre Russell. Here are a few more reactions:

It is worth noting that regular skipper Shreyas Iyer is expected to miss the first half of IPL 2023 due to a back injury. While Rana doesn't have the experience of leading a team in the IPL, the left-handed batter has previously captained Delhi in domestic cricket.


KKR to open their IPL 2023 campaign on April 1

KKR had a sub-par campaign in IPL 2022 as they failed to qualify for the all-important playoffs. Shreyas Iyer and Co. won six and lost eight matches in the league stage, finishing seventh in the points table.

They will look to make amends by coming up with improved performances this year. Furthermore, with the tournament returning to its home-and-away format, Kolkata will once again be seen playing at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The team will open their campaign with an exciting encounter against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in an afternoon clash at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on April 1.


KKR squad for IPL 2023

Players bought - Shakib Al Hasan (₹1.50 crore), N. Jagadeesan (₹90 lakh), Vaibhav Arora (₹60 lakh), Suyash Sharma (₹20 lakh), David Wiese (₹1 crore), Kulwant Khejroliya (₹20 lakh), Litton Das (₹50 lakh), and Mandeep Singh (₹50 lakh).

Players retained: Shreyas Iyer (injured), Nitish Rana (captain), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Venkatesh Iyer, Andre Russell, Tim Southee, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, Umesh Yadav, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy, Anukul Roy, and Rinku Singh.

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Edited by Ankush Das