KKR's Dinesh Karthik & Ben Cutting start training after completing quarantine
Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Ben Cutting have started training ahead of the upcoming IPL season after completing their respective quarantines.
KKR are currently camped at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai. The franchise's official Twitter account recently shared a post with the caption:
"More happy faces out of quarantine at our training session last night."
Here's the Twitter post:
All the IPL players have to complete a mandatory 7-day quarantine before joining the rest of their respective squads for training.
Ben Cutting was bought by KKR at the IPL auction in February this year for his base price of INR 75 lakh. The all-rounder is expected to be a backup for Andre Russell, who struggled with injuries last season.
Cutting has previously represented Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. The Australian all-rounder played a crucial role in SRH's title-winning 2016 season.
He was named the player of the match in the season's final against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Cutting smashed 39* off 15 balls, while with the ball he returned figures of 2-35 from his quota of four overs.
KKR will hope that the 34-year-old can rediscover some of that form in the upcoming 14th edition of the IPL.
Dinesh Karthik's forgettable 2020 IPL
Dinesh Karthik had a disastrous 2020 IPL given his lofty standards. The wicketkeeper-batsman scored just 169 runs in 14 games at an average of 14.08, while his strike rate read 126.11. The 34-year-old registered just one fifty.
Moreover, the Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper-batsman was relieved of his duties as a KKR skipper midway through the season. Eoin Morgan took up the reigns and England's white-ball skipper will continue leading KKR in the 2021 IPL.
KKR have missed out on playoff spots in the last two seasons, finishing fifth on both occasions. Dinesh Karthik's form with the bat will be key for the Kolkata-based outfit.