Kolkata Knight Riders Name Phil Salt as Replacement for Jason Roy in IPL 2024 Squad
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have brought in England’s Phil Salt as a replacement for Jason Roy for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Roy pulled out of the tournament citing “personal reasons”.
Salt, an aggressive wicket-keeper batsman, will be joining his second IPL franchise after going unsold in the 2024 auction despite representing the Delhi Capitals last year. KKR acquired him at his reserve price of INR 1.5 crore.
The 26-year-old Salt comes into the IPL on the back of a prolific run in the T20 format. In December 2023, he dominated the T20I series against West Indies in the Caribbean, topping the run charts with 331 runs at a staggering strike rate of 185.95. Notably, two of his scores were centuries (109* and 119), showcasing his explosive potential.
This impressive form, however, coincided with the IPL auction, where he remained unsold. With Roy’s withdrawal, though, KKR found their opportunity to snap him up.
Salt boasts a strong T20 record overall, amassing 5308 runs from 221 innings at a strike rate of 153.41 and an average of 25.89. He also has experience in various T20 leagues worldwide, including the Big Bash League (BBL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), and leagues in Sri Lanka, the UAE, and South Africa.
Roy, a well-established name in short-format cricket, has had an inconsistent run in the IPL despite playing for multiple franchises over the years. He has previously represented the Gujarat Lions (2017), Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) (2018), Sunrisers Hyderabad, and most recently, KKR, who had bought him at the December 2023 auction for INR 2.8 crore.
This is not Roy’s first IPL withdrawal. He had previously pulled out in 2020 (Delhi Capitals) and 2022 (Gujarat Titans) due to personal reasons and an “indefinite break” from the game, respectively.
The swap between Roy and Salt maintains the balance of the KKR squad as both are overseas players. Salt will likely compete with Rahmanullah Gurbaz for the opening slot, with Sherfane Rutherford being the other overseas batting option.
The core of the KKR team remains largely unchanged, featuring established names like Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera (replacement for Gus Atkinson), and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.
Shreyas Iyer will lead the KKR outfit, which kicks off its IPL 2024 campaign on March 23 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground, Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
