Kolkata: England and Australia players, who will be busy in the limited overs series that concludes three days before the IPL opener, could well be available from the start of the T20 league, KKR CEO and MD Venky Mysore said on Friday.
Mysore’s comments come after RCB chairman Sanjeev Churiwala on Thursday said the England and Australia players will not need to undergo the mandatory six-day quarantine in the UAE as they would be already coming from a bio-secure environment in the UK.
“Can’t say anything specific. IPL is doing everything they can to put a process in place so that those players are available to play.
KKR are very hopeful,” Mysore told PTI. The players include KKR’s star acquisition this season, Australian pacer Pat Cummins, who was bought for a record Rs 15.5 crore.
KKR also have 2019 World Cup winning skipper Eoin Morgan, Tom Banton, Chris Green and Harry Gurney in their roster.
KKR along with Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab were among the first batch to arrive in UAE for the tournament’s 13th edition.
“I am glad our boys have reached the UAE safely, and are being well taken care of. All SOPs and protocols established by the IPL have been complied with. Once the quarantine requirements are met, the team will start practice sessions,” Mysore said.
“We are pleased that the IPL 2020 season will be underway in a few weeks despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.”
KKR have roped in Srikanth Narayanaswamy as the team physician and he along with head physio Kamlesh Jain and Chris Donaldson, the strength & conditioning coach, will be looking after the squad.
The Kolkata franchise is based out of the Ritz Carlton in Abu Dhabi. (PTI)
