IPL 2022: Aaron Finch named as replacement for Alex Hales at Kolkata Knight Riders

BANGALORE: The Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) announced Friday that Australia’s white-ball skipper Aaron Finch has been selected as a replacement for England’s Alex Hales.

Hales, who was auctioned off to two-time champions Kolkata for $196,000 last month, has withdrawn from the lucrative Twenty20 event, which begins March 26, citing “bubble fatigue.”

After Jason Roy left the Gujarat Titans, one of the two new teams this edition, earlier this month, he becomes the second English player to opt out of the league owing to the difficulties of bubble life.

“We respect Alex Hales’ decision of choosing family and mental well-being over his participation in the upcoming season of the IPL,” Kolkata chief executive Venky Mysore said.

Finch, who led Australia to their first-ever T20 World Cup victory last year, was not sold in the auction but will return to the world’s most valuable cricket league for $196,000.

Aaron Finch, a top-order batsman, has played 85 innings and scored 2,005 runs in the IPL over the years.

In the first match of this season’s competition, which has been expanded to ten teams, Kolkata, headed by India’s Shreyas Iyer, will face defending champions Chennai Super Kings.

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