- Nasima Akter
KKR Welcomes NZ Star to IPL With a Funny Video
The Indian Premier League fever is back, and Kolkata Knight Riders are all set to steal the show. With their opening match scheduled against Punjab Kings on Saturday in Mohali, the two-time champions are all geared up to showcase their skills on the pitch.
The excitement in the KKR camp rose with the return of their ace pacer, Lockie Ferguson. The New Zealand star earlier played for KKR between 2019-2021, before moving to Gujarat Titans in 2022. However, he is now back in purple and gold, ready to take on the challenge once again.
The Video
To mark his return, KKR shared a hilarious video on their YouTube channel, which quickly went viral.
In the video, we see a man searching for a particular vegetable called 'lauki' (bottle gourd) in a local market. After a long search, he finally gets his hands on a giant-sized bottle gourd, only for it to be revealed that it was Lockie Ferguson holding the vegetable all along.
With a broad smile, the Kiwi pacer quips, "You're not looking for this Lauki, you're looking for this Lockie," as he points to himself.
Ferguson's IPL History
Ferguson has already played 18 matches for KKR in the previous seasons, picking up 21 wickets. His best performance for KKR came in IPL 2021, where he took 13 wickets in just 8 games.
In IPL 2022, playing for Gujarat Titans, the Kiwi pacer managed to pick up 12 wickets in 13 games. During the 2022 league, Ferguson became known for his fiery bowling and bowled the fastest delivery.
Lockie is one of the biggest purchases for KKR this season, being acquired by the team for a whopping Rs. 10 crore before the auctions.
KKR's Status
However, KKR suffered a big blow with their regular skipper Shreyas Iyer set to miss the entirety of the IPL 2023 season. Iyer will undergo surgery due to his back injury, which resurfaced during India vs Australia Test series.
It may take him more than six months to return to action. Taking note of this, KKR announced Nitish Rana as the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming season.
Rana has been a vital player for KKR in the past and has scored 2181 runs in 91 IPL matches at an average of 28 with 15 half-centuries to his name.
He is yet to score a century in the IPL but has shown his potential as a top-order batsman. He also made his ODI and T20 debut for India in 2021 on a tour of Sri Lanka.
In this year's IPL, he will be supported by senior cricketers like Andre Russell and Shakib Al Hasan, who bring their unique skills and experience to the table.
The KKR squad has many talented players, and with a strong leadership team in place, they will be a force to reckon with in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. The fans can't wait to see their favorite players in action, and the team is all set to deliver some memorable performances on the pitch.
