IPL 2021: Kamlesh Nagarkoti is a very good bowler - Pat Cummins

Australia and Kolkata Knight Riders'’ senior pacer Pat Cummins has waxed lyrical about the young fast bowler from his franchise, Kamlesh Nagarkoti.

Nagarkoti was one of the star performers for India at the 2018 U19 World Cup. He played five IPL games last season, claiming ten wickets.

In an Insta story posted on KKR’s official Instagram handle, Pat Cummins, who was purchased by the franchise for INR 15.5 crore last year, talked about his favourite fast bowler:

“I like watching (Jasprit) Bumrah bowl. And this youngster from KKR Kamlesh Nagarkoti, he is very good.”

Asked to name his favourite IPL moment, Pat Cummins said that it was his first IPL season in 2014. Elaborating on the same, he added:

“It was my first IPL in 2014. With Kolkata winning the title and then going to Eden Gardens the next day. To see a packed house, hundreds and thousands of fans on the streets was quite crazy.”

Pat Cummins had an average IPL 2020 season, going wicketless in a lot of games. He found some form towards the second half of the campaign, finishing with 12 wickets in 14 games at a strike rate of 26 and an economy rate of 7.86.

#VenkateshIyer 🆆🆆🆆#KamleshNagarkoti 🆆🆆@RealShubmanGill 76* (35)The Golden boys of tonight's victorious Team Gold 🥇#KKRHaiTaiyaar #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/NQvV93q4tZ

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 5, 2021

The Australian speedster has only featured in 30 IPL games so far, picking up 29 wickets with a best of 4 for 34.

Use Pat Cummins as a strike bowler at the top: Aakash Chopra

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that KKR must use Pat Cummins as a strike bowler at the top in IPL 2021 rather than save his overs for the death.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Chopra said about Pat Cummins:

"He is not your gun death bowler, so that admission is important to begin with that even though we have paid him Rs 15.5 crores and by his own admission the ball doesn't start swinging a lot more because you have been paid that kind of sum. So his job is to just make the new ball talk, take a couple of wickets at the top and break the back of the opposition's batting in the first six overs."

𝗦𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 🗓️The schedule for #IPL2021 is finally here! 🤩We kickstart our campaign against @SunRisers on April 11 in Chennai ⏳#KKR #IPLFixtures #IPLSchedule pic.twitter.com/kh5d7WVovS

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) March 7, 2021

KKR open their IPL 2021 campaign against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 11.