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IPL: KKR’s Karthik, Morgan and McCullum on Season-Opener vs Mumbai

Kolkata Knight Riders glad to play Mumbai Indians at the beginning of IPL, says skipper Dinesh Karthik.

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Kolkata Knight Riders will play their first match of the season against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, 22 September. Ahead of their season-opener, Captain Dinesh Karthik, Eoin Morgan, and coach Brendon McCullum held a virtual press conference in Abu Dhabi.

Coach McCullum, on using pace bowler Pat Cummins in the slow-pitched UAE stadiums, said, “So far in the tournament, we have seen that fast bowlers have excelled. The number 1 pace bowler is Pat Cummins. I think through, maybe, a little bit of good fortune will probably land in these conditions where his bowling should save us. He is a wonderful cricketer and a strong leader.”

“I think with the squad that we have; it gives us a huge amount of options. Within the squad, we have a number of versatile cricketers, specifically about the batting department,” Eoin Morgan said, about finishing off the game.

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On having Ali Khan in the IPL, McCullum said, “He has won a lot of championships and he deserves his opportunity to represent himself on the biggest stage, the IPL. It’s great to have him here and we are very excited.”

Talking about the game plan of KKR against MI, Karthik said, “It’s good that we are playing them early in the tournament. I think they are a solid side and they speak for themselves. Every year is fresh and I hope we will have a good game tomorrow.”

“I think, looking at the game that is being played, 160 is a par score on most grounds – the couple of grounds that the game has been played on. But there is no reason that a higher total cannot be achieved, or a lower total cannot be achieved,” he added.

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“One of our strengths in KKR is the bowling unit that we have. All four Indian pacers are shaping up really well. It’s going to be a hard decision to make who is going to bowl first,” Karthik said.

Morgan meanwhile, said: “In the last 3-4 years, my game has come on a little bit more experienced.”

Talking about the opening pair of Rohit and De Kock and the death-over pair of Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah, Karthik said, “I think both are good. They have a team of world-class players, just like other teams do. Just the fact they have won the competition more shows they have a very strong line-up. We are two good teams and we are prepared.”

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Karthik also hinted that Sunil Narine and Shubman Gill will the opening pair for KKR. He said, “Shubman is a quality player. I am sure he will exceed all expectations. Gill and Narine make a good opening combination.”

McCullum said, “I think it’s positive that these guys (Eoin Morgan, Pat Cummins Andre Russell, Sunil Narayan, and Ali Khan) have played a lot of cricket. I am sure that the other teams have also gone through equally detoured processes.”

“It is (the huge Eden Ground crowd) something that we will miss, it is something that is very special to us, the noise they make, the love they give, we really value it. We will miss it,” Karthik said.

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Topics:  KKR   Dinesh Karthik   IPL 2020 

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