Two-time IPL winners Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced Aaron Finch as Alex Hales replacement as the latter bowed out of the cash-rich league citing bubble fatigue and mental health. IPL 2022 is set to kick off from March 26 where KKR will lock horns with defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). English cricketer Hales was roped in by KKR for Rs 1.5 crore while Finch remained unsold in the mega auction for the upcoming IPL.
Hales took to socal media and wrote: " I am sad to announce that I have made the extremely difficut decision to withdraw from forthcoming IPL. having spent the last four months away from home in restrictive bio bubble's and having tested positive for COVID myself in Australia, I don't feel as though I can commit myself to another extended period within a secure environment."
"I wouldn't be fair on the team or myself if I wasn't able to perform to the level expected of me as a result of ongoing bubble fatigue. I want to thank KKR for believing in me during the auction and for their ongoing support in recent weeks. I wish Baz [Brendon McCullum], Shreyas [Iyer] and the team the best of luck for the tournament and hope to see the Knight Riders fans at some point in the future," Hales added.
Hales played for Sydney Thunder in the 2021-22 Big Bash League, the team that was most affected by Covid-19. Having played 13 matches in the BBL, Hales' next T20 assignment was in Pakistan for the PSL. He played in seven matches for Islamabad United before pulling out due to bubble fatigue. He did, however, re-join the team ahead of the playoffs stage.
Supporting the Englishman's decision, Venky Mysore, the CEO and MD of KKR said: "We respect Alex Hales' decision of choosing family and mental well-being over his participation in the upcoming season of the IPL. Bubble-life isn't easy, and a number of players around the world have shared their views on this topic. We will miss having him in the Galaxy of Knights this season, but we wish him all the best."
Earlier, England batter Jason Roy had also pulled out of IPL 2022 citing the Covid-19 bubble as a challenge to stay in the tournament for a longer period. Roy was bought by Gujarat Titans, one of the two new IPL teams for the next edition, for his base price of INR 2 crore in the IPL 2022 auction.
Finch, who has played 87 IPL, last played the IPL in 2020, representing Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, he did not have the best of seasons, finishing with 268 runs in 12 matches at an average of 22.33 and a strike rate of 111.20.
Kolkata Knight Riders' squad for IPL 2022: Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Varun Chakaravarthy, Shivam Mavi, Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane, Sheldon Jackson, Anukul Roy, Rasikh Dar, Baba Indrajith, Chamika Karunaratne, Abhijeet Tomar, Pratham Singh, Ashok Sharma, Sam Billings, Alex Hales, Tim Southee, Ramesh Kumar, Mohammad Nabi, Umesh Yadav, Aman Khan.
KKR's picks in IPL mega auction 2022:
Pat Cummins – Rs 7.25 Crore
Shreyas Iyer – Rs 12.25 Crore
Nitish Rana – Rs 8 Crore
Shivam Mavi – Rs 7.25 Crore
Sheldon Jackson – Rs 60 Lakhs
Ajinkya Rahane- Rs 1 crore
Rinku Singh- Rs 55 lakh
Anukul Roy- Rs 20 lakh
Chamika Karunaratne- Rs 50 lakh
Abhijeet Tomar- Rs 40 lakh
Pratham Singh- Rs 20 lakh
Ashok Sharma- Rs 55 lakh
Baba Indrajith- Rs 20 lakh
Rasikh Dar- Rs 20 lakh
Sam Billings- Rs 2 crore
Alex Hales- Rs 1.5 crore
Tim Southee- Rs 1.50 crore
Ramesh Kumar- Rs 20 lakh
Umesh Yadav- Rs 2 crore
Mohammad Nabi- Rs 1 crore
Aman Khan- Rs 20 lakh
