Kolkata Knight Riders bring in Jason Roy as replacement signing

Shreyas Iyer (back) and Shakib Al Hasan (unavailable) have both been ruled out of the 2023 IPL, prompting KKR to recruit an experienced batter

Kolkata Knight Riders have signed England international Jason Roy for 2.8 crore (£273,500) after Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of the 2023 IPL with a back injury and Shakib Al Hasan made himself unavailable.

The 32-year old opener not featured in the IPL since the 2021 season, when he represented Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Roy was picked up by Gujarat Titans in last year's auction before pulling out of the campaign due to the challenges of bubble life.

A lean 2022 for England then saw him miss out on selection for the T20 World Cup and later go unsold in the 2023 IPL auction.

^{Shakib Al Hasan recently comfirmed he would be unavailable for the 2023 IPL [Gareth Copley/Getty Images]}

Nonetheless, his T20 stats speak for themselves: in 313 matches he has scored 8,110 runs at a strike rate of 141.90.

What's more, Roy will be full of confidence after breaking the record for the highest individual score in the Pakistan Super League last month, with a knock of 145 not out off just 63 balls for Quetta Gladiators.

His most memorable IPL innings came in 2018 for Delhi Daredevils when he hit a match-winning 91 from 53 balls as they chased 195 against Mumbai Indians.

The Englishman's fast hands and clean hitting could prove crucial for an inexperienced KKR top order and given the absence of one of the world's best fielders in Shakib, Roy's athleticism and laser-guided arm will be welcomed at Eden Gardens.

Thursday's fixture against Royal Challengers Bangalore may be too early for Roy but he should be in line to make his KKR debut against Gujarat Titans on April 9.

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