Kolkata sign England's Roy to fill Iyer and Shakib void

NEW DELHI : Kolkata Knight Riders have signed England opener Jason Roy for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), the organisers said on Wednesday, to bolster their batting lineup weakened by the absence of Shreyas Iyer and Shakib Al Hasan.

Kolkata captain Iyer has been ruled out of entire IPL with a lower back injury which would require surgery and keep him out of the World Test Championship final against Australia in June as well.

All-rounder Shakib, currently leading Bangladesh in a one-off test against Ireland in Mirpur, has also conveyed his unavailability citing national team commitments.

Kolkata spent $341,671 to buy Roy, who played the 2021 season for Sunrisers Hyderabad, the IPL organisers said in a statement.

Playing for Quetta Gladiators, Roy smashed an unbeaten 145 off 63 balls in a Pakistan Super League match against Peshawar Zalmi last month.

IPL champions Gujarat Titans have signed Sri Lanka's white-ball captain Dasun Shanaka to replace New Zealander Kane Williamson, who returned home after a knee injury ended his campaign.