Top 10 funny memes as KKR trade in Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz ahead of IPL 2023 mini-auction

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have made some interesting moves during the trade window, roping in Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz ahead of the IPL 2023 mini-auction next month.

Ferguson and Gurbaz were traded from reigning champions Gujarat Titans (GT) while Thakur joined from Delhi Capitals (DC).

The Kolkata-based franchise had a disappointing IPL 2022 campaign, finishing seventh in the points table. Ahead of the new season, KKR appointed Chandrakant Pandit as the head coach, replacing Brendon McCullum, who left the franchise at the end of last season.

The Knight Riders came in for heavy criticism for their poor decisions at the 2022 IPL mega-auction after assembling an imbalanced and inexperienced squad. Under the new coaching regime, KKR have tried to rectify their selection mistakes by acquiring the services of quality players in the trade window.

Fans expressed mixed emotions about KKR's latest trade decisions. Few felt that the franchise made smart choices while others thought they spent too much money on trade acquisitions.

Shardul Thakur selected in the Indian squad for the ODI series against New Zealand

Shardul Thakur was part of the traveling reserves of Team India during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2022 Down Under. He will now travel to New Zealand for the upcoming three-match ODI series against the Kiwis.

Team India's tour of New Zealand commences on November 18 with the first T20I of the three-match series in Wellington. Thakur is not part of the T20I squad.

The ODI series will begin on November 25 with the opening contest set to take place in Auckland. Hamilton and Christchurch will host the next two games on November 27 and 30.

ODI squad for New Zealand tour: Shikhar Dhawan (C), Rishabh Pant (VC), Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Shahbaz Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Sen, Umran Malik.

About the author

Balakrishna has been a cricket writer at Sportskeeda for almost seven years. A sport that he has been following and playing since he was eight, Balakrishna enjoys the intensity of the sport, skills and strategies applied to get a result out of nowhere, and the thrill that it gives. He also played as a medium pace bowling all-rounder in four inter-college tournaments, winning twice.

Balakrishna’s all-time favorite cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. He admires Sachin’s stellar performances against legendary bowlers, along with his discipline and humility. Meanwhile, he is a big fan of how Rohit turned around his initial struggles to build a successful career.

He avidly supports Team India and 2016 IPL winners SunRisers Hyderabad. The first World Cup that Balakrishna ever saw was the 2003 World Cup, when Australia comprehensively triumphed over India in the final.

While working, he ensures he only uses reliable sources and provides relevant, ethical, and accurate information. When not working, Balakrishna enjoys playing table tennis and reading non-fiction books.

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