Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has opted out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 season due to international engagements and personal reasons. ESPNcricinfo reported that Shakib informed his team, Kolkata Knight Riders, about his decision on Sunday. The franchise will now begin seeking a replacement once it gets a nod from the IPL.
Shakib's busy schedule with the Bangladesh cricket team is one of the main reasons for his withdrawal from the IPL. He and Litton Das, another Knight Riders player, missed the team's first match of the season against Punjab Kings because they were playing a home T20I series against Ireland. The duo is also part of Bangladesh's squad for a one-off Test match against Ireland that began on Tuesday. This will be followed by a tour of the UK, where Bangladesh will play three ODIs against Ireland in Chelmsford on May 9, 12 and 14.
According to reports, Shakib cited his international commitments and personal issues as the reasons for withdrawing from the IPL. Although there was no clarity on whether Das would also opt out of the tournament, the development puts the spotlight on him as he was also signed by Knight Riders at the 2023 player auction in December.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had informed the IPL about its players' "limited availability" before the auction. As conveyed by the BCB previously, the Bangladesh players selected for the Ireland series were supposed to be "available from April 8 to May 1."
The Knight Riders had also communicated that Shakib would land in India after the conclusion of the third T20I against Ireland on March 31. On the other hand, Litton is slated to join KKR after the one-off Test, which ends on April 8. But BCB named Shakib in the Bangladesh Test squad, further reducing his availability.
KKR has only six overseas players without Shakib now, including Litton. The Kolkata-based team were already struggling with availability issues as their skipper Shreyas Iyer was ruled out of at least the first half of this IPL season with a back injury.
The absence of Shakib will be a big blow to Knight Riders as he is a valuable allrounder who has been a key player for them over the years. Shakib has been a part of the Knight Riders squad since 2011 and has played a crucial role in their title-winning campaigns in 2012 and 2014. He has been in good form recently, scoring two half-centuries and picking up seven wickets in the T20I series against Ireland.
In conclusion, Shakib Al Hasan's withdrawal from the IPL 2023 season due to international engagements and personal reasons is a setback for Kolkata Knight Riders. The franchise will now have to find a replacement for Shakib and will be hoping that Litton Das will be available for the entire tournament. The absence of Shakib will be felt not just by Knight Riders but also by IPL fans, who will miss watching one of the best all-rounders in world cricket in action.