The experience of Anil Kumble will help Kings XI Punjab: Brett Lee
Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has heaped praise on former India spin bowler Anil Kumble. Lee feels that Anil Kumble will fare well as the head coach of India Premier League side Kings XI Punjab. The 13th edition of the IPL will be played from September 19 to November 08 in the UAE.
Anil Kumble signed a two-year deal with KXIP last year. Lee, who has also played for the Punjab outfit in the past, feels that players will be helped by Kumble's vast experience.
"Having someone like that (Anil Kumble) in terms of the mix of the team and certainly the squad will be invaluable," Lee said on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.
"The knowledge, the experiences, will definitely help. Kings XI need to win, they have got a great squad, they have got a wonderful team that can definitely get close and close but they have not got over the line yet, so, I'm actually waiting for that to happen. A great franchise to play for, I put up my hand-up and say that was a lot of fun to play for that franchise," he added.
Anil Kumble stepped down as the head coach of the Indian Cricket team in 2017. There were rumours that Kumble and captain Virat Kohli were not sharing the same wavelength, and the latter thought it is in the best interest of the team to part ways. In the IPL, though, this will be his first stint as a coach/mentor.
The remarkable career of Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble made his debut in April 1990 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Sharjah. He went on to play 271 ODIs, claiming 337 wickets. In the longest format, Anil Kumble represented India in 132 games, claiming 619 wickets. He won India the most number of Test matches and still remains the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket and the leading wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs for India.