Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag feels Phil Salt’s absence will not affect Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024 playoffs. Salt played a key role in taking KKR to the playoffs as he batted with an aggressive approach along with Sunil Narine.
Salt scored 435 runs in 12 matches of IPL 2024 at an average of 39.55 and a blistering strike rate of 182. The right-hander scored four fifties, with the best score of unbeaten 89 before departing to England for national duty.
Meanwhile, KKR named Rahmanullah Gurbaz in their playing XI against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday as Salt’s replacement but the match was washed out due to rain.
“It’s not like one player’s absence will drop the value of your team. It’s just that the other player needs to perform well. What will actually matter is that one of your in-form players will be absent. How Phil Salt has performed, the runs he has scored, the strike rate he batted with, these will be missed by KKR,” Sehwag said on ESPN Cricinfo as quoted by India Today.
“However, it can also happen that someone can step up and perform better than Salt in that match. All he has to do is play one match right? So I’d rather look at it positively. You have bought the rest of the players for this sort of moments, right? so that if one gets injured or leaves mid-way, another player can step up.” Sehwag added.
On the other hand, Sunil Narine has been in exceptional form for KKR, scoring 461 runs in 12 innings at an average of 38.42 and a strike rate of 182.93. KKR finished at the top spot in the standings with nine wins, three losses and two no results in 14 games.
KKR will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Tuesday.
