Aakash Chopra names a seamer KKR might buy at the IPL 2024 auction

The veteran commentator Aakash Chopra feels that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) might look to buy Dilshan Madushanka at the IPL 2024 auction. The KKR franchise has a remaining purse of ₹32.70 crore heading into the auction. They have a 13-member squad now and can buy a maximum of 12 players, including four from overseas as well.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra: “They have not given themselves too many options. They have two Indian fast bowlers in the form of Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora but they won’t be able to do the job alone. Andre Russell’s bowling ability remains a huge doubt in any case. I feel they will go shopping for fast bowlers. Very few franchises will be able to outbid them because they have a lot of money. If I know Gautam Gambhir well, his sights will be set on Madushanka. So Madushanka might actually have a field day. He might get sold for six to eight crores.”

Meanwhile, Aakash Chopra also added other franchises would also be keen to busy Madushanka as well. He said that the Sri Lankan pacer is a left-armer who gets the ball to swing and is a wicket-taking bowler as well.

See also: IND vs AUS: Ruturaj Gaikwad credits MS Dhoni for his amazing game sense

“They might not go towards Mitchell Starc” – Aakash Chopra

Meanwhile, KKR signed Mitchell Starc for IPL 2018 but he opted out due to injury. Aakash Chopra also named a couple of other overseas pacers the Kolkata Knight Riders might be interested in as well.

“They might not go towards Mitchell Starc but they can go towards Gerald Coetzee because they are looking for an out-and-out fast bowler who is a wicket-taker. Josh Hazlewood after getting released has put his name again in the auction. It depends on his availability, or else Josh Hazlewood is a fantastic option,” he also added.

The cricketer-turned-commentator said that Harshal Patel might be another option for KKR. He also shared that KKR could try for Azmatullah Omarzai as an all-round option. He further added that the two-time champions might go for either Travis Head or Rachin Ravindra as a backup for Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jason Roy apart from looking for an Indian keeper as well.

“Their focus will be on wicket-takers. I won’t be surprised, if it’s going to be a slow pitch, then Harshal Patel. They might be interested in him because RCB have left him. They and RCB keep trading in any case. The bowlers move from one to another. They have done that too many times,” Aakash Chopra concluded.