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The big news coming from the Indian Premier League circuit is that two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders have signed up New Zealand pacer Tim Southee for the remaining fixtures of the Indian Premier League 2021 set to happen in UAE. The same has been confirmed by a source close to the development. Southee, it is being reported, has replaced Pat Cummins, who has pulled out of the second leg of the competition citing personal reasons.
While Southee has been a part of the IPL before and played for six consecutive years, he went unsold in the auctions in 2020. He last played the IPL in 2019 when he donned RCB colours and had a forgettable stint, finishing with an economy rate of 13 in the three games he played. In overall 40 IPL matches, the Kiwi pacer has scalped 28 wickets at an average of 46.17 and an economy of 8.73. The signing has been confirmed in a Cricbuzz report.
Earlier Australian speedster Pat Cummins had hinted that he might not participate in the second half of IPL 2021. Although he had not made an official call then, he indicated that since his partner was pregnant and their baby due in the middle of IPL, he would not be able to reach on time for the birth of their baby owing to the 2-week quarantine requirement, if he were to participate.
"Unfortunately, at this stage, I probably won't be going to the IPL. I haven't made an official call on it. But my partner is pregnant and our baby is due in the middle of the IPL. At the moment, there is a travel restriction to get back to Australia, you got to do 2 weeks quarantine," Cummins had said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
"There is probably going to be some days quarantine going to UAE. So it's going to be tough to go and play there," he added.
The 14th season of the IPL, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with heavyweights Mumbai Indians taking on the Chennai Super Kings. KKR will play resume their season a day after, taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi.