Kolkata Knight Riders, the two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions are likely to use the Jadavpur University Second Campus Ground for preparation from March 13 ahead of another exciting season. Meanwhile, IPL 12 will commence from March 23 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, the Governing Council only announced the schedule for the first two weeks of the tournament. And now with the dates of the General Elections announced, they are likely to come out with full itinerary soon.
Kolkata to start training from March 13
Kolkata Knight Riders, meanwhile, will begin their campaign on March 24 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. According to reports, KKR led by Dinesh Karthik will also train at the Eden Gardens before their season opener. Going by the fixtures released, Kolkata’s first home match is on March 27 against the Kings XI Punjab.
Karthik did a fantastic job with the young side last year but couldn’t go all the way. Moreover, for the past three seasons, KKR have not been able to go beyond the playoffs, losing to Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 2 in 2018. They will be desperate to add one more trophy to the cabinet when the next edition commences. Kolkata Knight Riders have won the title two times, 2012 and 2014, while Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have won it three times each.
The Knights, coached by Jacques Kallis has added Carlos Braithwaite and Lockie Ferguson to their side. The dynamic all-rounders will add balance to the team which already boasts Andre Russell in the squad. Moreover, they also have a perfect blend of youngsters with experienced India cricketers guiding them well. The spin department of Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, and Piyush Chawla will have a significant responsibility to lead the charge for their side.
Kolkata Knight Riders’ Squad:
Dinesh Karthik (captain & keeper), Robin Uthappa (vice-captain), Chris Lynn, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Shubman Gill, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Nitish Rana, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rinku Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Carlos Brathwaite, Lockie Ferguson, Anrich Nortje, Nikhil Naik, Harry Gurney, Prithvi Raj Yarra, Joe Denly and Shrikant Mundhe.