Soon after Kolkata Knight Riders roped in England’s World Cup-winning captain, Eoin Morgan, for Rs 5.25 crore, there were speculations that the franchise could look beyond Dinesh Karthik as its captain for IPL 2020.
However, the franchise’s head coach Brendon McCullum made it clear that the Knights have no plans to replace Karthik as the captain for the next season.
“He (Karthik) will definitely be our captain. We are trying to provide as much experience around,” McCullum said, making it clear that Morgan’s experience will help.
Read: KKR signs Morgan for Rs 5.25 crore
Having been a part of the Knight Riders camp in the past, Morgan has a fair idea about the team's setup and McCullum feels that Morgan will be a ‘perfect choice’ as a top-order batsman.
“He will fill that really important No. 4 batting position for us. He is going to be a fine asset coming back to Kolkata. We are really pleased to get him. He’s in the form of his life. He’ll be a fine asset coming back to Kolkata, and also Pat Cummins,” McCullum said.
Ahead of the auction, KKR’s CEO, Venky Mysore, had stated that the franchise’s target would be to fill in the gaps, but the franchises went big on Thursday -- roping in ‘old boys’ Morgan and Cummins -- at high prices.
Morgan, who led England men’s team to its first-ever World Cup title earlier this year, last featured in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad, two years ago. But even then, he has made his presence felt in the global franchise-based leagues. He recently captained Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10 league and smashed 175 runs in just six matches at a strike rate of 186.
Coming with a vast experience, Morgan’s vast experience will help the Knights -- which has failed to win the title since IPL 2014.
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