KKR have 4-5 bowlers who can clock 145-150 kph consistently, that is not easy to have in a team: Sandeep Warrier

Kerala-based speedster Sandeep Warrier, who is set to turn out for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2020, recently expressed his excitement at the prospect of bowling alongside big names such as Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson this season.

KKR stole all the headlines in December this year when they roped in Cummins' services for a whopping sum of ₹15 Crore. With the Australian star joining the likes of Prasidh Krishna and Ferguson, KKR have put together an exciting pace attack, a prospect Sandeep Warrier seems to be relishing.

"To be a part of such a bowling unit is fun. Nagarkoti and Mavi made an impact at the U-19 World Cup while bowling 145 kph, Prasidh is quick. KKR have 4-5 bowlers who can clock 145-150 consistently, that is not easy to have in one team," Warrier said in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda.

The KKR fast bowler further added that such a talent pool was only present in the West Indies team back in the 1980s, and it will be interesting to see how his pace partners combine during the matches.

"This pace was there only back in the 1980s West Indies team when they would come and try to hit the batsmen with quick bouncers. The only difference here is we are playing T20s. We have 7-8 bowlers, and 5 of them can definitely clock 150 kph. If everyone gets their rhythm going early and hit peak form, it will be fun to watch," the pacer said.

Sandeep Warrier excited to learn from latest KKR import Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins will turn out for KKR this season

As per his own admission, Sandeep Warrier is a huge fan of Australian all-rounder Pat Cummins, and the former can't wait to pick the latter's brains and learn a tip or two.

"Anything that I can learn about cricket, not just about white ball cricket or T20, I would love to learn more about the game. I want to learn about how he prepares for Test cricket, how he sets fields, I want to learn about his work ethics, how is preparing for the IPL. I want to learn whatever he can teach me," Sandeep Warrier quipped.

The KKR pacer also had a special mention for mentor Abhishek Nayar, who Sandeep Warrier claims has played a massive role in helping him improve on and off the field.

KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik has often heaped praise on the influence of Nayar on himself and the team as a whole. Sandeep Warrier echoed his skipper's thoughts with some of his own veneration for Nayar's contribution in the speedster's overall development, on and off the field.

"I have not seen someone like him be so confident and motivate the players. He has that culture of playing tough cricket from Mumbai. He is so confident about cricket and life, he has a solution for everything. I have been in contact with him about everything from the past year, I can talk to him about literally anything," the KKR pacer said.

Having made his IPL debut after warming the benches for half of IPL 12, Warrier played just three matches for KKR last season. With a fresh season and new chances coming his way, Warrier will be keen to grab the opportunities that come his way over the course of the next few months.

And, as for IPL aficionados who have waited patiently for many months to witness their favourite stars in action, they will have their thirst quenched with the first game scheduled on September 19th in the United Arab Emirates.