CHENNAI: Kolkata Knight Riders made several additions to their squad before the new season. Pat Cummins, Eoin Morgan, Tom Banton were among the foreign buys. Rahul Tripathi and Varun Chakravarthy were the two uncapped players they bought.
Tripathi excelled in 2017 playing for the Pune franchise, which finished runners-up that season. Fortunes have changed since and the batsman is looking forward to performing for the team led by Dinesh Karthik. The IPL to be played in the UAE from September 19.
"Happy that IPL is happening. Before the lockdown, we had started training and then got a bit frustrated for not being able to do anything. We are excited and raring to go,'' said Tripathi.
Expectations are usually high of KKR, who have won the title twice. "KKR has always been a good side. We have a solid team that covers all bases. That they have won the title twice motivates us to give our best. We have an able captain who leads by example and an accomplished figure like Brendon McCullum as coach. There is a lot one can learn from them and I wish to use their inputs to become a better player,'' said Tripathi.
The 29-year-old cherishes his time with Pune and has fond memories of playing with MS Dhoni. "I learnt a lot from Dhoni and Steve Smith. This year before the lockdown, I spent time with the KKR team. I was trying to improve my shot selection and polishing the art of power hitting. Hopefully, when I get an opportunity, I will play like I did with Pune."
The player from Maharashtra has already started benefiting from the company of Karthik. "He told me one must have clarity of mind and adapt as per the situation. He also suggested drills to improve skills in this format. The main thing was a positive mindset and never-give-up attitude."
KKR have strengthened their bowling with the likes of Cummins. "We have variety and experience in attack. We have some good all-rounders too. That makes us confident we will do well," said Tripathi.
The pitches are expected to be similar to those in India, but conditions will be different considering the bio-secure arrangements and all that.
"This tournament is different. We will stay in a bio bubble and follow protocols. All of us will be playing with no match practice for several months. Grounds (in the UAE) may not have been used for a long time. We have to get used to conditions and pitches. Adaption will be the key," signed off Tripathi.