Five Bowlers for KKR as Anrich Nortje's Replacement: Shah Rukh Khan's management had roped in Anrich Nortje for Rs 6.5 crore for the upcoming IPL season last November. This time, he is the one who has succumbed to injury. So if the Proteas pacer cannot overcome his drought before the start of the IPL, Kolkata will have to look for an alternative pacer.

The much-awaited IPL 2025 will start on March 21, after the Champions Trophy tournament is over. And Kolkata wanted to increase the strength of the team by taking a bird's eye view of the matches of this season. As such, the management left Aussie pacer Mitchell Starc and added bowlers like Narkia to the team.

However, due to injury, both South Africa and KKR are unable to get him on their side for the time being. So, fears are growing in the Knight camp. It is believed that if Narkia cannot return to the field before the upcoming Indian Premier League season, then KKR will be forced to lean towards the 5 players who were not sold in the auction.

1. William O'Rourke

New Zealand's young talent William O'Rourke has made a name for himself in international cricket with the ball. It is worth mentioning that this Kiwi pacer was also a part of the New Zealand team in the India series last year. The Kiwis have overcome several difficult times under his leadership.

It is believed that if South African pacer Norkia is unable to return to the field before the specified time due to injury, the KKR authorities may choose William O'Rourke as an alternative. It is worth noting that although he is not permanent in the white-ball format, Roark has participated in 3 T20 and 6 ODI matches till date.

2. Mustafizur Rahman

Bangladesh's fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman did not get a team in the last mega auction. There was hope that he might get a call up in Chennai again. However, the franchises have put water on that possibility. Mustafizur is going through a tough time without getting a team in the upcoming IPL. It is believed that if Narkia cannot return to the team before the scheduled time after recovering from his injury, Bangladesh Tigers may have a place in the Knight Camp as an alternative to the Proteas pacer.

Needless to say, Mustafizur has a long experience in IPL. His match statistics show that Rahman has taken 61 wickets in 57 IPL matches so far. This Bangladeshi talent has given the team excellent performances in various domestic leagues as well as international T20s.

3. Riley Meredith

Australian pacer Riley Meredith has the experience of playing for powerful teams like Punjab Kings to Mumbai Indians in IPL history. This Aussie bowler has taken 19 wickets in 18 IPL matches so far. He last played for MI in the 2023 season. He also has experience playing in the BBL. According to experts, Meredith can be a great choice for KKR as an alternative to Nortje.

4. Jason Behrendorff

Another Australian fast bowler Jason Behrendorff may get a chance to play in the Knight Camp as an alternative to Anrich Norkia. It is believed that the debut of this star in Shahrukh's team as an alternative to Norkia can be quite unfortunate for the enemy side. Let us tell you that Behrendorff last played for MI in the 2023 season. If you look at his match statistics, it will be seen that Jason has taken 14 wickets in just 12 matches so far.

5. Gus Atkinson

Kolkata bought young English pacer Gus Atkinson at a low price in the mega auction before the start of the 2024 IPL season. However, he withdrew from Kolkata Knight Riders citing pressure from the national team and several personal reasons. Kolkata can bring him back to the team 1 year after that incident. However, this will be possible only if the Proteas pacer does not return to the 22 yards before the scheduled time due to injury.

Atkinson excelled in red-ball matches for England in 2024. However, the English team did not find him very helpful in white-ball cricket.