KKR's Umesh Yadav ruled out of match against Lucknow Super Giants over calf injury

Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) fast bowler, Umesh Yadav, has been ruled out of the match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Saturday, May 7 at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune. The veteran speedster sustained a calf strain, KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer said prior to the crucial game.

Yadav has been a critical part of the Knights’ bowling unit, having picked up 15 wickets from 10 matches at an economy rate of 7.15. 20-year-old Harshit Rana has replaced the seamer for the match. Iyer admitted that changing playing XIs on a regular basis isn’t healthy, but KKR have had to do it because of injuries and niggles to some of their key players.

“We will bowl first as the wicket looks dry and dew is not going to play a massive role on this ground. Umesh pulled his



calf-muscles, so Harshit Rana comes in to replace him. It is important to have a stable side, but with the injuries, there is chopping and changing. We are professionals and will look to continue well after a win, despite not having a good start,” Iyer was quoted as saying during the toss.

Back on April 28, Rana played a solitary game against Rishabh Pant’s Delhi Capitals (DC) and finished with figures of 3-0-24-1. The seamer got his maiden wicket in the form of Mitchell Marsh, who has done well in the limited-overs formats over the last 12 months.

The Knights are currently placed at eighth in the table in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) with eight points and a net run rate of +0.060. On May 2, they snapped their five-match losing streak after beating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven wickets.