KKR playing 11 from Mohammed Shami's IPL debut - where are they now?
Mohammed Shami celebrates his 34th birthday on Tuesday (September 3). So far, the right-arm pacer has scalped 448 wickets in 188 international games for India across all formats, while emerging as the key performer for the Men in Blue in the last three ODI World Cups.
Shami made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 8, 2013, against Rajasthan Royals under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir in Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. This came a few months after he had made his ODI debut for India in January 2013 riding on his domestic performances.
The Royals outfit batted first and posted a respectable total of 144, with Brad Hodge (46*) as the top contributor. Sunil Narine was the pick of the bowlers for the Knight Riders with figures of 2/28. Meanwhile, Shami returned with figures of 0/26 off three overs.
In response, KKR were off to a bad start as they lost half of their side under eight overs. Although, Eoin Morgan (51) played an impressive knock, the visitors were bundled out for 125. Kevon Cooper and Siddharth Trivedi bagged three wickets each for the Royals.
On that note, let's take a look at what the playing XI of KKR are up to now in their respective lives.
Top-order: Manvinder Bisla, Gautam Gambhir, Jacques Kallis
Manvinder Bisla was dismissed for one off four in this game. The right-handed batter is currently serving as a commentator in the Uttar Pradesh T20 League. He took part in the Legends League Cricket last season.
Gautam Gambhir contributed 22 off as many balls against Rajasthan Royals. After serving as a mentor to the title-winning Kolkata Knight Riders team in IPL 2024, Gambhir is now the head coach of the Indian cricket team.
Jacques Kallis was dismissed for a duck while conceding 28 runs off his full quota of four overs. The former Proteas all-rounder served as the assistant coach of the Pretoria Capitals in SA20. Last month, he parted ways with the franchise.
Middle-order: Manoj Tiwary, Eoin Morgan, Yusuf Pathan, Laxmi Ratan Shukla
Manoj Tiwary came at No. 4 and scored 14 off 13 for the Knight Riders. The right-hander retired from all formats of the game after the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 season. He is currently the Minister of State in the department of Youth Services and Sports in West Bengal.
Eoin Morgan batted brilliantly under pressure in this game, slamming 51 off 38, with three fours and as many sixes. Nowadays, he can be seen doing commentary and working as an analyst for different series/tournaments.
Yusuf Pathan was dismissed for a second-ball duck in this fixture. He recently played a key role in helping India Champions win the World Championship of Legends. The explosive batter is set to represent Konark Suryas Odisha in the Legends League Cricket this month. Moreover, Pathan is also a Member of Parliament from Baharampur constituency, West Bengal.
Although Laxmi Ratan Shukla could contribute only two off nine with the bat, he impressed with his figures of 1/14 off two overs. Currently, Shukla is the head coach of the Bengal senior men's team. Earlier this year, he also served as a mentor for Rashmi Medinipur Wizards in the Bengal Pro T20 League.
Lower-order: Rajat Bhatia, Brett Lee, Mohammed Shami, Sunil Narine
With his change-ups and variations, Rajat Bhatia returned with figures of 1/21 off three overs. He also contributed 12 off seven with the bat. Currently, Bhatia is the Team Director of Central Delhi Kings in the Delhi Premier League 2024. He was last seen in the field during the Legends League Cricket last year.
Brett Lee had a decent outing in this game, finishing with figures of 1/20 off four overs. The former pacer served as an analyst for JioCinema during IPL 2024. He recently represented Australia Champions in the World Championship of Legends.
Mohammed Shami was introduced into the attack in the second over of the innings and went on to concede 26 runs off three overs. The right-arm pacer last played in the 2023 World Cup final against Australia in November 2023. He emerged as the finest bowler of the tournament with 24 scalps in seven games. Since then, he has been on the sidelines due to an Achilles heel surgery, he underwent in February this year.
Sunil Narine was KKR's best bowler in this game with figures of 2/28. The talented all-rounder slammed 488 runs and picked 17 wickets to help the Knight Riders lift the IPL 2024 title. Narine is currently playing for Trinbago Knight Riders in the Caribbean Premier League.