Due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, the fate of IPL 2020 remains undecided but England limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan is keen to come out of isolation to reunite with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after a previous 3-year stint.
Morgan played for the KKR from 2011 to 2013 and was bought by the franchise again at the 2020 auction for Rs 5.25 crore. Though Morgan will be joining the franchise after leading his England side to their maiden World Cup glory, the 33-year-old said he will be keen on learning leadership qualities from KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik during the 13th edition of the league.
“I’ve spoken to DK a lot and I met up with him just before Christmas when I was out in Mumbai. He’s a fantastic guy, a great cricketer and I’m looking forward to helping him in whatever way I can. While I’m here to help, I also want to learn as much as I can from him,” Morgan told the KKR website.
“There are a lot of dynamics about being a captain when you’re playing in India that I don’t know about, I’ll be picking his brain the whole time. I’ll naturally be myself and try to give as much as I can just like the rest of the international players. But it’s going to be fascinating to see how and when we get to play and how the competition lines up. Because everybody is going to come out of isolation extremely excited, rearing to go, batting, bowling, fielding the whole lot.”
Morgan also said he was looking forward to reunite with his former KKR teammate and good friend Brendon McCullum, who will be taking over as the new coach of the franchise.
“I think his contribution not only to New Zealand cricket but to world cricket really took the front in 2015 with their campaign – throughout the 2015 World Cup. They really did, I suppose, transform the fate of a nation and the hope of a nation in the way that they played. They played aggressive, positive cricket but also in a way that wasn’t in your face the whole time.”
“It was really good to watch, it created a huge amount of attraction and I think majority of the time actually the way that they play and the manner that they play overlooks the skill level that they produce. And I think Baz is the reason for that turn around. I think he has had a huge input in the way they’ve played and in all formats as well not just white ball.”
