KKR aim to win third title: Suryakumar

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav yesterday said the two-time champions will go all out this time to add a third star on the jersey by bringing the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy home.Usually, teams have stars on top of their badge or crest to depict the number of titles they have won. The winners of the IPL in 2012 and 2014, KKR lost to eventual champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the eliminator last year by 22 runs. Yadav managed just eight in that game as the Knights failed to chase down 162 posted by David Warner and co.“There is not point thinking about last year. We have moved on and are thinking about this season,” Yadav, who played a match-winning knock of 60 against Rising Pune Supergiant in the last edition, told reporters on the sidelines of a city jewellery company’s tie-up with the purple brigade.“We have two stars on our shirt and hopefully will add a third giving you all reason to celebrate,” the 26-year-old Mumbai lad added.Meanwhile West Indian opener Darren Bravo, who suffered an injury scare early on while training with the team, said it’s a feeling of homecoming for him as he plays for the same franchise in the Caribbean Premier League, Trinbago Knight Riders.“By all means, the IPL is the No.1 T20 competition in the world. I think I am very privileged to be part of the KKR team. KKR is the owner of CPL team (Trinbago Knight Riders), so for me its like a family and coming back home,” the left-hander who is making a debut in the cash-rich league, said. Also present on the occasion were big-hitting Yusuf Pathan, left-arm Australian spinner Chris Lynn and top-order batsman Manish Pandey. Pandey said batting at No.3 for KKR, he will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility.“For KKR I bat at No.3 so I have to shoulder a lot of responsibilities. I have to play along with the middle order, so definitely we will not repeat mistakes of last year and try and play better cricket this time,” Pandey, who amassed 248 runs in 12 games last season, said.Pandey, who last played for India in the second T20 international against England on January 29, added that the IPL will be a good platform for him to impress ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy in June.“IPL will be a good platform for me to get back into reckoning for India ahead of the Champions Trophy. At the moment I am focussing on IPL and doing well for the team.”Grandhomme replaces banned Russell in KKR squad for IPL 10New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme was yesterday named as replacement for West Indian Andre Russell in the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 10.De Grandhomme has featured in six Tests, nine One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and eight T20 Internationals for New Zealand so far. He made his Test debut for New Zealand in late 2016 and marked the occasion with a six-wicket haul.  KKR commence their IPL campaign on Friday at the SCA Stadium, Rajkot, where they will face Gujarat Lions.Afghans Rashid, Nabi hope to extract maximum experience from IPLHyderabad: Afghanistan’s all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and leg-spinner Rashid Khan are aiming to make the most of the opportunities during their stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad as they are preparing for their debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL).Nabi and Rashid were roped in by the defending champions during the auctions for Rs 30 lakh and Rs 4 crore respectively.“It is a huge opportunity for both of us. We have a great coaching staff here with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. I am looking forward to working closely with Muttiah Muralitharan and it is going to help me a lot. Just being with names like Yuvraj Singh, David Warner and Kane Williamson gives me a different thrill,” Rashid was quoted as saying by IPL’s website on Monday. “I can learn a lot by sharing the dressing room with such legends of the game. Hopefully we can take a lot of positives from this tournament and take it back home in Afghanitsan and become better cricketers,” the 18-year-old added.Nabi, the Afghanistan veteran, wants to learn from top professionals how they handle pressure.“This is the world’s biggest T20 league and everyone is going to be watching. How you handle pressure and maintain composure under pressure situations will be of prime importance. It is an opportunity for both of us to observe the big players from close quarters and see how they handle pressure situations. This is going to be a huge learning curve,” he elaborated.“It is an honour for both of us to have been selected in the IPL. Everyone was waiting for the auction when we were named in the IPL auction pool. We were in Zimbabwe at that time and it was early in the morning when we switched on our TV sets to catch a glimpse of the auction and see if we would be selected,” he added.“When I was picked up by the Sunrisers, my joy knew no bounds. It is a very big achievement for me and my teammate here. It is a huge moment for Afghanistan cricket. The reception back home was brilliant. It is a dream come true for me to be a part of this league.”Nabi also asserted that young Rashid has all the components of being a hit in this edition of the IPL. He can be deceptive with his subtle variations and there are a few members in the Afghanistan squad who still can’t read him off the hand,” he said of Rashid.“Even the wicket-keepers have a tough time picking his deliveries. I feel he is going to be a key component in this IPL.”