“My favorite cricketer is MS Dhoni but..." - Kolkata Knight Riders' new recruit's surprising revelation

Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) new recruit, Sakib Hussain, has disclosed MS Dhoni as his favorite player before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Sakib Hussain also expressed excitement about bowling to players like Shreyas Iyer and Rinku Singh, during his upcoming stint with KKR.

Sakib Hussain was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 20 lakh during the IPL auction in Dubai. The 19-year-old bowler is set to showcase his skills in the forthcoming IPL season. He will share the dressing room with stars like Iyer, Rinku, Andre Russell, and Mitchell Starc.

Hussain initially went unsold in the first round of the IPL 2024 auction but was later picked up by the Kolkata-based franchise in the second round. Sakib began his journey by playing tennis ball cricket to support his family financially and evolved into a professional player.

My Favourite Cricketer Is MS Dhoni – Sakib Hussain

Sakib Hussain named the legendary captain MS Dhoni as his favorite cricketer. He also expressed excitement about playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, eagerly anticipating facing Shreyas Iyer and other players in the nets.

“My favourite cricketer is MS Dhoni but then since I will be playing for Kolkata Knight Riders, I am excited to bowl to Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh,” Sakib told SportsNow.

Following an impressive performance in the BCL, Sakib Hussain earned a spot in the Bihar U19 team without district-level play. He made his debut against Andhra Pradesh and secured two wickets, followed by a similar feat against Odisha in the subsequent game.

He earned a spot in Bihar’s Cooch Behar Trophy squad for the 2020-21 season after his display in the U19 tournament. He claimed an impressive tally of 21 wickets in just four matches. Subsequently, he was chosen for the National Cricket Academy camp in Bangalore before showcasing exceptional skills in a zonal game in Pondicherry.

The Shreyas Iyer-led Side To Kick Off Their Campaign On March 23

KKR will commence their IPL 2024 journey on March 23 against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Following this, they will face off against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on March 29. Four days later, they are set to encounter Delhi Capitals in Vizag.

Last season, KKR, led by stand-in captain Nitish Rana, finished seventh in the table. The Kolkata-based franchise won six out of 14 league-stage matches. Shreyas Iyer will rejoin the team for IPL 2024 after missing the previous edition of the T20 tournament.

March 23 – KKR vs SRH in Kolkata – 7:30 PM IST

March 29 – RCB vs KKR in Bengaluru – 7:30 PM IST

April 3 – DC vs KKR in Vizag – 7:30 PM IST

KKR Full Squad For IPL 2024: Nitish Rana, Rinku Singh, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shreyas Iyer (c), Jason Roy, Sunil Narine, Suyash Sharma, Anukul Roy, Andre Russell, Venkatesh Iyer, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakaravarthy, KS Bharat, Chetan Sakariya, Mitchell Starc, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Ramandeep Singh, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Gus Atkinson, and Sakib Hussain.

Also read: “Not necessary that a finisher has to come at number 5..”- Aakash Chopra on MS Dhoni