No Mitchell Starc for KKR today

In today's IPL match, Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) captain, Shreyas Iyer, announced that Mitchell Starc would not be participating in the game against Punjab Kings. The Australian pace bowler was ruled out due to an injury sustained in the previous game. This paved the way for Sri Lankan pacer Dushmantha Chameera to make his debut for KKR.

Shreyas Iyer confirmed during the toss that Starc had injured his finger, necessitating a rest for him. As a replacement, Chameera was chosen to play in today's match against Punjab Kings. Starc, who had returned to the IPL this year for the first time since 2015, has been the league's most expensive player with a price tag of INR 24.75 crore. However, his performance has been underwhelming this season, having taken only six wickets in the first seven matches at an expensive average of 11.48 runs per over.

Although Starc's poor form was notable, Iyer clarified that it was not the reason for his exclusion from today’s game. "In our last game, Starcy injured his finger, and Dushmantha Chameera has taken his place," said Iyer at the toss.