The absence of the English contingent that is currently taking part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) might hurt the teams during the playoffs as we approach the final stages of the tournament.
With the playoffs set to begin next Tuesday, May 21, we already know that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have qualified for the playoffs. They are so far the only team to officially seal a playoffs berth and are assured of a top-two finish following the washout against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Monday evening.
Monday was indeed a huge day with a lot of implications. The match between GT and KKR got abandoned without any result, which meant elimination for the former.
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Before that, though, reports came out suggesting that all the English players would be returning to England ahead of schedule and will miss the IPL 2024 playoffs in order to prepare for the four-match T20I series against Pakistan as well as the upcoming T20 World Cup in June. Punjab Kings' Liam Livingstone and Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler have already left India.
But while PBKS have already been eliminated from the playoffs race, RR are still pretty much assured of a top four spot, although they haven't officially made it through.
The absence of Buttler for RR and Phil Salt for KKR, the two ballistic openers, could prove to be the difference in the closing stages of IPL 2024.
MORE: Why will England players not play IPL 2024 playoffs?
How can KKR and RR replace Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, respectively?
Kolkata Knight Riders
Salt has been a force to be reckoned with at the top of the order for KKR. The two-time IPL champions have been simply incredible this season, and Salt has made a big contribution to their revival, forming an absolutely stellar opening combo with Sunil Narine.
Salt and Narine have both scored over 400 runs this season (435 and 461 runs, respectively) and have struck the ball over 180. Those are some outrageous numbers right there. Their batting has consistently provided the team a solid base from which they can explode later on without worrying about wickets.
The options at KKR's disposal means that they won't have to do a lot of reshuffling in order to compensate for the absence of Salt. They have a like-for-like replacement available in the form of Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
Gurbaz, who hails from Afghanistan and made his IPL debut with KKR in 2023, has plenty of T20 experience, having played in multiple franchise leagues as well as starring for the Afghanistan cricket team.
Given that he is a wicketkeeper himself, and that he likes to attack from the word go to capitalise on the fielding restrictions in the powerplay, Gurbaz can seamlessly slot in for Salt. What's more, KKR can get the LHB-RHB opening combination going on with Gurbaz and Narine.
Rajasthan Royals
Replacing Buttler won't be as easy for RR as replacing Salt will be for KKR. First of all, RR do not have someone who is just as experienced at the top of the order as the England skipper.
One way they can make up for Buttler's absence is by roping Tom Kohler-Cadmore in. The 29-year-old Englishman has scored over 4700 runs in 190 T20s till date. Those numbers aren't shabby, not at all in fact, and his experience as a T20 player could be handy for RR.
Another option is to promote someone like Dhruv Jurel at the top of the order and ask him to go all guns blazing in the first six overs. That way, Jurel can produce a LHB-RHB opening combination with Yashasvi Jaiswal, and allow Rovman Powell to play lower down the order, a position where he has thrived for West Indies.
What next for KKR and RR?
The two teams will square off against each other on Sunday, May 19, in the final league game of IPL 2024. It will be KKR's final game.
RR, though, have one more game left before they take on KKR. They are set to face Punjab Kings at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday, May 15.