With less than 2 weeks to go before the 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) starts, the frenzied action can be felt in the air.
As players start arriving to India for the grand league, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) too have begun their preparations.
A few new players in the form of Lockie Ferguson, Shardul Thakur and Narayan Jagadeesan will be seen plying their trade for KKR.
The traditional home and away format of IPL is set to return and KKR will be playing their home matches at the Eden Gardens.
KKR kick-start their IPL 2023 campaign against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on 1st April 2023.
It will be played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium and is slated to begin from 3:30 PM (IST).
As Pat Cummins pulled himself out of this edition of the IPL to focus on the Ashes, Lockie Ferguson will be spearheading the bowling attack of KKR.
In this article, we take a look at 3 reasons why Lockie Ferguson might breathe fire in this edition of the IPL:
1. Eden Gardens favours pacers
Traditionally, pace and bounce have been the norm at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Since KKR will be playing 7 of their 14 games in Eden Gardens, Lockie Ferguson’s eyes would pop out as Eden Gardens is a pace bowler’s paradise.
With grass covering on the surface, pacers might it easy to generate pace and Lockie Ferguson is already an out-an-out fast bowler.
2. Lockie Ferguson was in fine form last year
In IPL 2022, Kiwi speedster Lockie Ferguson played a pivotal role in Gujarat Titans lifting the title.
His sheer pace and accuracy with the white-cherry made him one of the most destructive bowlers and the go-to man of skipper Hardik Pandya.
Ferguson bagged 12 wickets in 13 games and often scythed through the batting line-ups of opposition batters.
He would be looking to continue from where he left and would be looking to guide KKR to their 3rd title in this season.
3. The Kiwi speedster has previously played for KKR
Adjusting to a new franchise’s norms, regulations and environment often takes a while for a player.
And especially if it is an overseas player. But the good thing about speedster Lockie Ferguson is that he has previously played for the 2-time IPL winning franchise.
He played for the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise from 2019-2021 and has so far bagged 21 wickets for the Purple and Gold Brigade.
Also read: IPL 2023: 3 Wicket-Keepers Who Could Have A Stellar Season
