Kolkata Knight Riders replace England speedster Gus Atkinson with Sri Lankan pacer ahead of IPL 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have signed veteran Sri Lankan pacer Dushmantha Chameera to replace England speedster Gus Atkinson for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Chameera remained unsold in the auctions conducted in December 2023 but has now been picked up by KKR at his reserve price of 50 lakh. In IPL 2022, Dushmantha Chameera participated in 12 matches for Lucknow Super Giants, securing 9 wickets with an economy rate exceeding 8.

Nonetheless, Chameera’s career has been plagued by injuries, which have hindered his progress. He is undoubtedly eager to make a significant impact in the upcoming edition of the world’s premier T20 league. Regarding Gus Atkinson, IPL 2024 was anticipated to mark his debut in the league. However, it appears that the ECB prioritizes his freshness and readiness for the crucial T20 World Cup.

Considering that the T20 World Cup 2024 is scheduled immediately after the IPL, it will pose challenges in managing the workload of fast bowlers. It also makes it a significant concern for the upcoming edition. Chameera serves as a direct replacement for Atkinson, given their similarities in raw pace. Additionally, the Sri Lankan pacer offers greater experience, having honed his skills in subcontinent conditions throughout most of his cricketing career.

IPL 2024 schedule likely to be announced in phases: Reports

The upcoming IPL edition is set to kick off on March 23, 2024. However, despite the tournament being just over a month away, the Indian Cricket Board has not yet released the schedule. This delay is attributed to the impending general election, scheduled for March and April. The board is currently in discussions and is expected to make a decision once the Election Commissioner finalizes the election dates.

According to reports, the IPL 2024 schedule may be announced in stages. The Governing Council, led by Arun Singh Dhumal, is currently finalizing the arrangements, with the first phase of the league expected to be revealed soon. Officials are actively coordinating with the Home Ministry and the Election Commission of India to refine the details.

“We have been discussing internally and have more or less figured out the schedule but a final announcement is likely to happen the moment we get clarity and necessary clearances from the Home Ministry and Election Commission of India on the polling schedule. The schedule will be announced in phases. Like it happened in 2019. For the first few games of each team, we will release the schedule soon and then we get more clarity on polling schedule and other important dates, we will announce the remainder,” the source said as reported by News18