Report | KKR stave off IPL 2023 by roping in Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals

The Kolkata Knight Riders finalized the trade of Shardul Thakur from Delhi Capitals in an all-cash deal on Monday, as per an ESPN Cricinfo report. The Indian pace all-rounder is one of the few in his bracket in the Indian Premier League, making him a sought-after possession for teams as was evident by the fact that the Bengal franchise was involved in a tussle with the Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, and the Punjab Kings to register the player for their team.

This would be Thakur's fifth franchise in the Indian Premier League despite having played just seven seasons in the competition so far. The 31-year-old made his debut for the erstwhile Kings XI Punjab before being traded to the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2017. Used strictly as a bowler by the outfit, Thakur took 11 wickets for them at a decent economy of 8.25, thereby earning the attention of the Chennai Super Kings. It was here that Thakur truly thrived under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, including finishing as their leading wicket-taker in 2021 with 21 scalps leading them to the title. For the 2022 season, Delhi Capitals bought the player in the auction for a whopping INR 10.75 crores.

Thakur is known for his knack to take wickets at crucial stages and his ability to score at a rapid rate in the lower middle order. He is expected to add great value to a KKR team that has already traded Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Lockie Ferguson from the Gujarat Titans while losing the services of Sam Billings. The trade window deadline has been set ar 5 PM IST on November 15, by which time the teams will also have to release the list of players that have been retained and released.