IPL 2021: Gurkeerat Singh Mann Joins Kolkata Knight Riders As Rinku Singh's Replacement

In what comes as the latest development, Gurkeerat Singh Mann has joined the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2021. Gurkeerat Singh Mann’s inclusion has come in the wake of Rinku Singh’s knee injury, ruling him out of the entire tournament. The upcoming edition would be Gurkeerat’s eighth IPL season, having played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore last year and making his first appearance in 2012.

Rinku Singh, who was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad, played only one match last year, and scored 11 runs in that. The two-time champions have mainly used the 23-year old as a substitute fielder only. Having debuted back in 2018, Rinku has featured in ten IPL matches only and has failed to make any significant contributions.

Meanwhile, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, who has been acquired for INR 50 lakhs, will turn out for this third franchise, having been part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab previously. The spin-bowling all-rounder played in eight matches last year for the Royal Challengers and managed 71 runs with the best score of unbeaten 21.

Surprisingly, the 30-year old has also featured in three ODIs – all of which have come against Australia, debuting in early 2016. Kolkata Knight Riders will open their IPL 2021 campaign against the SunRisers Hyderabad on the 11th of April at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Eoin Morgan-led side missed out on a playoff spot last year in the UAE marginally.

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