Check KKR strongest playing XI as Nitish Rana leads team in hunt for 3rd IPL trophy

IPL 2023: Ahead of the 16th edition of the world's toughest T20 league two-time Indian Premier League champions and IPL 2021 finalist Kolkata Knight Riders will be missing the services of their captain Shreyas Iyer who has been ruled out of the IPL 2023 due to his back injury. In Iyer's absence, it will be young Nitish Rana who will be leading the side and will have the responsibility to take his team to their third IPL trophy.

Kolkata has pretty big names like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shardul Thakur, Lockie Ferguson, and Tim Southee in their squad for IPL 2023. In Shreyas Iyer's absence, the main responsibility will be on Nitish Rana to carry forward the team's middle order and also to lead the side in the upcoming tournament. Rana has been one of the consistent performers of the Kolkata Knight Riders and has consistently scored runs with the bat.

Will Nitish Rana lead KKR to 3rd IPL crown?

While many big names were in contention to become Kolkata Knight Riders captain in the absence of Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana defeated everyone and came out as a surprise. Apart from Rana, the team's performance will pretty much depend on Andre Russell and Suni Narine as they have been the key matchwinners for the team for many years. 

Andre Russell's ability to both bat and bowl has proved to be very effective for the team and especially his batting has won the team many lost matches. Russell has the quality to hit sixes from ball one also at any time of the innings.,

Suni Narine gives the team a batting option apart from his bowling. Narine has scored runs for KKR while opening the innings but most of the time he has been effective for his team while bowling the middle overs. 

Other than this the team is also full of experienced bowlers like Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee, Shardul Thakur, and Varun Chakravarthy. However, after reaching the finals in the 2021 season the team was not able to make it to the playoffs in the 2022 season. 

Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2023: Best Playing XI

Litton Das, Venkatesh Iyer, Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Mandeep Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee