'The next Virat Kohli?': KKR's bizarre experiment vs GT savaged after Shardul Thakur gets dismissed for duck

KKR were lambasted on social media for their bizarre experiment of sending Shardul at No.3. He was dismissed for four-ball duck.

When Kolkata Knight Riders picked up two sensational wins in their first three matches in IPL 2023, veterans and experts had warned other teams in the tournament about the two-time champions looking dangerous and genuine title contenders yet again. But over the course of the following fortnight, KKR languished to the bottom half of the table after losing four matches in a row. Inconsistent decisions amid injury concerns troubled KKR through their losses. On Saturday, even as KKR headed into the home game against GT on the back of a win in Bengaluru against RCB, they were lambasted on social media for a bizarre experiment that went wrong. (KKR vs GT Live Score, IPL 2023)

Shardul Thakur gets dismissed for duck

After being put to bat first at the Eden Gardens after a short spell of rain in Kolkata, KKR openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Jagadeesan got the team off to a brisk start. The latter smashed four boundaries in his 19-ball 15 before Mohammed Shami drew first blood. As usual, Venkatesh Iyer was expected to walk in next, who has been in an impressive form in IPL 2023, or probably someone like Andre Russell could have been sent in, as the commentator pointed out. But KKR had other plans.

In walked Shardul Thakur at No.3. In his T20 career, he has never batted so high. His highest batting position was No.4, in the IPL 2023 Qualifier 1 match between CSK and DC in Dubai where he ended up with a golden duck.

Shardul faced a delivery of Shami for no run before Gurbaz took on Hardik Pandya and the former to smash boundaries all around the park. Shardul only returned to bat in the fifth over, once again against Shami where he was beaten by a short of a length ball before decided to take on the length ball on the next delivery. He lofted it nonchalantly, looking to clear the mid-on zone for a boundary, but Mohit Sharma completed a stunner. Shardul departed for a four-ball duck as KKR's experiment failed. Here is how Twitter reacted to it…

Twitter reaction on KKR's failed experiment

Shardul's dismissal in the final delivery of the fifth over sent KKR two down for 47 runs with Gurbaz single-handedly doing the battle. The hosts finished powerplay with 61 for two with the Afghanistan star having managed 39 off 15 then.