KC Cariappa, Sandeep Warrier added to Kolkata Knight Riders squad for IPL 2019

KC Cariappa and Sandeep Warrier have been drafted into the Kolkata Knight Riders squad for the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League in place of Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi. Nagarkoti, who played two List A games after the Under-19 World Cup, suffered a serious back injury which ruled him out of the 2018 IPL and has still not recovered from the injury. The latest reports state that the recovery for the pacer will take close to three months. The Rajasthan pacer is yet to play a match in the IPL. Mavi, who did play couple of games in the previous edition for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018 and had put in an impressive display in the domestic scene for Uttar Pradesh, has suffered a stress fracture on his back and will not be fit for close to six months.

Kolkata Knight Riders have included Kerala pacer Sandeep Warrier. The 27-year-old was the standout bowler for Kerala in the Ranji Trophy season claiming 44 wickets from 10 matches, his best returns in his six-year domestic career. Warrier's bowling was instrumental in Kerala's maiden entry into the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali, he took a magnificent hat-trick against Andhra and became the first player to take a hat-trick in the 2019 edition. This will be the second IPL team for Warrier, having been part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise from 2013 to 2015 but he did not get a game.

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On the other hand, KC Cariappa made a grand entry into the Indian Premier League during the IPL 2015 auctions. Despite not having played any form of top-level cricket, Cariappa, who at that time was playing for the Bijapur Bulls in the Karnataka Premier League, was snapped up for a whopping Rs 2.4 crore from his base price of Rs 10 lakh. In his debut, he managed to pick up the wicket of AB de Villiers against Royal Challengers Bangalore but did not get many games.

He was then picked up by Kings XI Punjab but failed to put in an impressive display. Now, he is back to where it all began for Cariappa. Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL in 2012 and 2014 and they will open their campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on March 24.

HIGHLIGHTS

• KC Cariappa was snapped up for Rs 2.4 crore in IPL 2015 by KKR.
• KKR will play Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening game of IPL 2019.
• KKR have won the IPL twice in 2012 and 2014.