IPL 2020: Dinesh Karthik is a proactive captain and a perfectionist, says Sandeep Warrier | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Speedster Sandeep Warrier is excited about his second stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 13th season of the Indian Premier League. He is looking forward to playing under ‘perfectionist’ Dinesh Karthik who will be leading Kolkata for the third season. Warrier played three matches last season under Karthik and claimed two big wickets of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle.
Warrier, who is looking forward to a successful IPL season with KKR, is aiming for an impressive show in the UAE this time. The 2020 season will be held in UAE from September 19 to November 10.
“I am really happy and excited to be back in the IPL squad. DK bhai is an amazing captain. He gives a lot of freedom. He will support you on and off the field. ‘Keep yourself ready for every game’ – that’s what he tells me every time. DK is a proactive captain and a perfectionist. He is very involved. He wants perfection in every department. Be it fielding, bowling or batting,” Warrier told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview before he left for the UAE.

After sitting on the bench for three seasons in the Royal Challengers Bangalore team (2013 to 2015), Warrier was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019. He went unsold in the IPL auction but was signed up by KKR as a replacement for Kamlesh Nagarkoti who suffered a back injury.
“When I got a call from KKR last season, I was watching a league match in Chennai. I thought KKR were calling me for a trial. But in the evening, I got to know that I am going to replace Kamlesh Nagarkoti in the squad. That was a big moment for me. Playing for a big team like KKR is obviously a big thing,” the 29 year old from Thrissur said.
Warrier, who hasn’t played competitive cricket for almost five months now due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is eager to hit the field with his KKR team-mates.
“It’s been almost 5 months I have not played competitive cricket, not even a match. I am really excited to get back to the cricket field. IPL is a big platform for all the youngsters. I am really excited to be a part of it. We have a strong team. We have match-winners in the team,” Warrier told TimesofIndia.com
KL RAHUL – WARRIER’S FIRST IPL WICKET
The 29-year-old from Thrissur, Kerala, dismissed Kings XI Punjab’s star opener KL Rahul as his maiden IPL scalp and then sent ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle back to the pavilion in IPL 2019.

“Both (KL and Gayle) were in great form. I was just trying to not be predictable to them (KL and Gayle). I was happy to take the wickets of such big cricketers. KL and Gayle are two of the best destructive openers in the league. The ground was big in Mohali and I didn’t want to let them know what I am going to bowl. Getting KL as my first IPL victim was really great. He is such a talented batsman,” Warrier, who has played 57 First Class and 55 List-A matches for Kerala said.
RUSSELL – THE SUPERSTAR
With his brutal big-hitting prowess and the ability to take wickets in the death overs and crunch moments, KKR all-rounder Andre Russell has turned the game on its head on numerous occasions.
Russell was the highest-run getter for the KKR last season. He scored 510 runs in 14 matches (13 innings) at an average of 56.66. He also hit 52 gigantic sixes in the tournament, the highest by a batsman in the 2019 edition. Gayle was number two with 34 maximums.

Apart from his batting onslaughts, Russell claimed 11 wickets in the tournament.
Heaping praise on Russell, Warrier said: “Recently Venky sir (Venky Mysore, CEO & Managing Director of KKR) said Andre Russell is the Michael Jordan of T20 cricket. I agree with the statement. Russell is a classy all-rounder. He can change the game single-handedly. If you see some matches of the last season, he completely changed the game single-handedly. He is actually a superstar.”
ZAHEER AND VIRAT’S GUIDANCE
Warrier spent three seasons at RCB between 2013 and 2015. He didn’t get to play a single match while at RCB, but the time he spent with cricket icons Virat Kohli and Zaheer Khan and the tips he got from the two was a huge learning experience for him.

“I bowled a lot of deliveries to Virat bhai in the nets. In 2013, I didn’t get much chance to speak with Virat bhai. But in 2014 and 2015, I did have a lot of conversations with Virat bhai. He told me about the improvement in my speed. He told me one thing ‘reading the batsman is very important’. It was a huge learning experience interacting with Zaheer bhai, RP Singh and Vinay Kumar at RCB. I learnt a lot from all the three seniors. The best thing I learnt from Zaheer bhai was how to approach a game and how to prepare yourself ahead of a game. He is a legend of the game,” Sandeep signed off.