IPL 2023: Prasidh Krishna's absence is a major setback for the Rajasthan Royals.

Prasidh Krishna, a fast bowler for Rajasthan Royals, won’t participate in the 2023 Indian Premier League season. The Karnataka pacer underwent surgery for a lumbar stress fracture and will now require a protracted rehabilitation regimen in order to recuperate.

Gutted to be missing out on so much cricket. Be back soon! ⏱️🏃 pic.twitter.com/jemAfvcTbC

— Prasidh Krishna (@prasidh43) February 16, 2023

The Rajasthan Royals acquired Krishna for a staggering 10 crores after spending significant time with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League. The quick bowler did not disappoint, taking 19 wickets in 17 games.

Prasidh Krishna (Credits: Twitter) — Prasidh Krishna

Krishna has performed steadily for the past couple of years, earning his first India cap in the process. The inaugural champions will sorely miss his services. His absence would undoubtedly derail the plans of the defending champions as they begin their quest for a second IPL championship.

The franchise stated that a replacement for Prasidh will be sought out and named in due course for the 2023 season.
Among the seam bowling alternatives they have are Kuldeep Sen, Kuldip Yadav, Navdeep Saini, KM Asif, Obed McCoy, Trent Boult, and Jason Holder.

For the Rajasthan Royals, Prasidh Krishna’s absence is a major setback.

#1 Last season’s excellent performance

In the IPL 2022, Prasidh Krishna earned back the trust placed in him by the RR think tank by taking 19 wickets in 17 games. The lanky pacer continuously put forth strong efforts, finishing the campaign with a respectable average of 29 and an economy rate of 8.29. He used the new ball to bowl and would come back to bowl crunch overs in the dying moments.

#2 No obvious successor to RR

There doesn’t appear to be a Krishna replacement available from RR. Navdeep Saini is one of the other pacers available to RR, but he bowls differently than the others and relies more on raw speed to confuse the batters.
In any event, his performances during the previous few years haven’t been that impressive. Finding an Indian speed bowler with Krishna’s tall build may prove challenging for RR.