Kolkata seek to do more than look good
Sunday, 19 April 2009
CAPE TOWN, Apr 18(AFP): Their owner may have been the most visible presence in the pre-tournament build-up, but the Kolkata Knight Riders will seek to show they are capable of playing good cricket when they open their Indian Premier League campaign against the Deccan Chargers at Newlands Sunday.
The Delhi Daredevils meet the Kings XI Punjab in the early match of the second double-header at the ground in which all eight teams were due to be in action over the first two days of the five-week tournament in South Africa.
Knight Riders owner, film star Shah Rukh Khan, admitted that his team didn't perform as well as he hoped in finishing sixth out of eight last year, although he said they were the "coolest-looking" outfit.
West Indian captain Chris Gayle will only be available for the early matches but most of the other key players, including New Zealander Brendon McCullum, will be able to play in all the games.
McCullum hit a spectacular 158 in the opening match against Bangalore last year and has been appointed captain for the 2009 season.
Other experienced players in the team include former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, Australia's Brad Hodge and Sri Lanka's mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, together with Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik.
If the Knight Riders were under-achievers last year, the Deccan Chargers did even worse, winning only two out of 14 games and finishing bottom of the table.
The Chargers signed a galaxy of big name, quick-scoring batsmen whose performances were erratic, while the team paid for a shortage of experienced bowlers.
The Delhi Daredevils meet the Kings XI Punjab in the early match of the second double-header at the ground in which all eight teams were due to be in action over the first two days of the five-week tournament in South Africa.
Knight Riders owner, film star Shah Rukh Khan, admitted that his team didn't perform as well as he hoped in finishing sixth out of eight last year, although he said they were the "coolest-looking" outfit.
West Indian captain Chris Gayle will only be available for the early matches but most of the other key players, including New Zealander Brendon McCullum, will be able to play in all the games.
McCullum hit a spectacular 158 in the opening match against Bangalore last year and has been appointed captain for the 2009 season.
Other experienced players in the team include former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, Australia's Brad Hodge and Sri Lanka's mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis, together with Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik.
If the Knight Riders were under-achievers last year, the Deccan Chargers did even worse, winning only two out of 14 games and finishing bottom of the table.
The Chargers signed a galaxy of big name, quick-scoring batsmen whose performances were erratic, while the team paid for a shortage of experienced bowlers.