YUSUF PATHAN THE MAN TO FEAR

What can you say about Yusuf Pathan? Most fans and critics like to point out that he has a simple game plan – hit the ball as hard as you can. What they fail to see is that a lot of work goes into making things seem simple - just ask Jacques Kallis. Pathan has that rarely seen combination of power and precision that come together to form one of the deadliest hitters in the modern game. Yusuf has played match-winning knocks throughout his career, for club, state and country, turning lost causes into indelible memories. When he is in full flow, all the bowler’s plans go out the window. There is nowhere you can bowl to him and expect to be safe. A slight flick of the wrists is enough to send the ball out of the park and a mighty heave means you will probably never see that ball again.Besides his world beating batting, Pathan also contributes with the ball. His useful off-spinners are a deadly addition to his arsenal of skills and saw him pick up 13 wickets for KKR in IPL4 in addition to his 283 runs. He was our second most successful bowler last season in a team filled with bowling talent. Above all, it is the humble and selfless nature of this otherwise aggressive cricketer that has endeared him to the fans. He never forgets to say a kind word about his fellow teammates and mentors and thank them for their support and always seems grateful for the opportunities that have come his way.On his recent return to the India squad, Yusuf had this to say, "I was hopeful of getting selected and I am relieved. This call-up will help me improve my skills and consistency as there is a lot of limited overs cricket in the near future. I know I will have to keep performing to stay in the team." Yusuf Pathan never takes his success for granted.

THE RISING STARS OF KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS...

The Kolkata Knight Riders started IPL 4 with a team that consisted of many new players. While the world was looking forward to the exploits of established stars like Gautam Gambhir,  Jacques Kallis, Brett Lee and Yusuf Pathan, the KKR management clearly had one eye on the future. Among the luminaries were rising young stars like James Pattinson, Manoj Tiwary, Shakib Al Hasan, Ryan ten Doeschate, and KKR’s top bowler in IPL 4, Iqbal Abdulla.
Pattinson has since made his international debut for Australia and has made the world sit up and take notice of a bowler who seems set to take over the Aussie fast bowling mantle from another legendary Knight, Brett Lee. Tiwary has gone on to feature for India several times in the last year and has made the most of every opportunity to show his worth on the world stage, scoring a brilliant ODI century against the West Indies. Shakib is now universally regarded as one of the best modern all-rounders and one of the best cricketers to have come out of Bangladesh, all at the ripe young age of 24. Doeschate went to score two terrific centuries in the 2011 World Cup and continues to impress with his all-round ability every time he steps on to a pitch. Abdulla is also knocking down the doors of the Indian national team with consistent performances on the domestic circuit and it is only a matter of time before he is given his chance. Added to these youngsters is the domestic fast bowling contingent being prepared by the Knights that includes Jaidev Unadkat, Pradeep Sangwan and Shami Ahmed along with the experienced L Balaji, all gaining insights from the legendary ‘Sultan of Swing’ Wasim Akram, KKR’s mentor.
This season will also see the addition of Marchant de Lange, the South African quick regularly hitting speeds of 150+ kph and already striking fear into experienced international batsmen in his short international career. KKR also welcomes the wily young West Indian spinner, Sunil Narine, another scarcely known quantity who has been generating a lot of buzz in the domestic and international circuits.

MEET THE CAPTAIN -GAUTHAM GEMBIR

When the announcement of Gautam Gambhir’s arrival to KKR was made, all the fans sat up and took notice. Gauti, as he is fondly known, has built a reputation as one of the most aggressive and determined top-order batsmen in the modern game with the ability to produce crucial knocks required by his team in moments of despair. Gauti sealed his place in the hearts of cricket lovers everywhere with his World Cup final knock of 97 that helped India to bring home the trophy after 28 years. Yet, he remains the same Gauti we had always known – always determined to make that next important contribution.
A passionate cricketer and a thoughtful individual, Gambhir was the natural choice to become the leader of a group of legendary cricketers interspersed with young players looking for the guidance of a player who has seen it all. Gauti leads from the front, lets his bat do the talking and constantly strives for perfection. The focus and determination brought to KKR by the captain helped the team to its best ever performance in the IPL and though he remains proud of his boys for last season, rest assured that Gauti has his eyes firmly set on the target – bringing the IPL title to the Eden Gardens.
The fiery Delhi lad has now become a Kolkatan and clearly revels in the added responsibility that the leadership of such a well loved team brings. “My heart and soul are with KKR. In a matter of weeks, Kolkata has converted me into a Bengali boy. If the schedule permits it, I would love to come here for the Pujas and celebrate with the rest of the city. It has been a season of poriborton (change) for me as well.”
Kolkata awaits the return of Gauti and his Knights for IPL-5!

KING KALLIS A CRICKETING LEGEND....

Jacques Kallis is an undisputed legend of the game. A quiet, unassuming cricketer who lets his bat (and the ball) do all the talking, Kallis has cemented his place among the all-time greats with consistently amazing performances in all disciplines of the game. From being thought of as purely a Test batsman, Kallis has proved all doubters wrong with his ODI form and more recently, his IPL stint. In his 1^st season with the Kolkata Knight Riders, Kallis scored the most runs for his team, 424 in all, besides chipping in with 7 useful wickets and 9 catches.
Kallis is most certainly an awe-inspiring cricketer, even if it’s just for the way he has gone about his career. In almost 2 decades of cricket, Kallis has amassed 11,000+ runs and 270+ wickets in both the traditional forms of the game. These figures will likely remain unsurpassed and they present an enormous challenge for any young cricketer who looks to emulate his role model, King Kallis! But, the essential point is that despite breaking all those records, Kallis doesn’t have an air of superiority about him. He remains available for friendly advice and conversation to all his teammates, young and old.
Kallis has proved that technique and temperament are crucial in any form of the game, even when fans and pundits expect the meticulous South African to start swinging his bat at everything when he steps into a T20 game. Kallis has always had the unique ability to mold the game to suit his requirements, when everyone else is going in a different direction. As he steps into his 18^th year of international cricket and prepares to be honoured by Cricket South Africa for his contribution to the nation’s cricket and the Everest of statistics he has compiled, Kallis has already set his sights on the future, hoping to win his first ODI World Cup in 2015. The measure of his greatness can be gained from this humble quote, "No place is guaranteed in any side so I've got to carry on putting in the results as no individual is more important than the game.”
Kallis has already cemented his place as a fan favourite among KKR fans with his performances last season and the crowd at Eden Gardens eagerly anticipates his exploits in this season’s IPL. 

Webster joins KKR support staff

Dr. Rudi Webster appointed as Mental Skills coach

IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders have appointed renowned sports psychologist Dr. Rudi Webster as their Mental Skills Coach.

The Brabados native was the manager of the glorious West Indies team that dominated world cricket for more than 15 years under the leadership of Clive Lloyd.

KKR CEO, Venky Mysore, expressed his pleasure at acquiring the 72 year-old’s services for IPL 2012. "We are delighted to welcome Dr Webster. I am sure he will add to the strength and play an important role in taking KKR to the next level of performance," Mysore said.

Webster has worked with the national cricket teams of West Indies, Sri Lanka and India in the past. He is also the author of 'Winning Ways: In Search of Your Best Performance'.

KKR’s de Lange stars in SA win

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Marchant de Lange flaunted figures of four for 46 as South Africa completed a 3-0 sweep against New Zealand in the One-Day International series between the two sides.

Bought by the Kolkata franchise at the 2012 IPL Player Auction for USD 50,000, de Lange ripped through the Kiwi middle-order to bowl the hosts out for 206. This was de Lange’s first ODI match for South Africa.

Among the 21-year-old South African paceman’s victims were Brendon McCullum (46), James Franklin (36), Nathan McCullum (10) and Andrew Ellis (2). Incidentally, Brendon McCullum, whose batting was instrumental in allowing the hosts to reach a modest score of 206, was also bought by KKR at the same player auction, but for the much larger sum of USD 900,000.

South Africa left-arm spinner Robin Peterson, who is part of the Mumbai Indians’ squad for IPL 2012, complemented de Lange’s efforts with figures of 10-1-36-2.

South Africa, in reply, chased down the total in 43.2 overs despite losing some late wickets. Opening the batting for the visitors, Hashim Amla top-scored with an 89-ball 76 while Chennai Super Kings’ Albie Morkel and Deccan Chargers’ Jean-Paul Duminy chipped in with individual scores of 41 and 25 respectively.

de Lange was duly awarded the Man-of-the-Match award for his efforts.

Brief scores: South Africa 208/5 in 43.2 overs (Hashim Amla 76, Albie Morkel 41, Rob Nicol 2/14) beat New Zealand 206 all out in 47 overs (Brendon McCullum 47, Marchant de Lange 4/46) by five wickets

KKR sign four domestic players

KKR sign four domestic players Additions boost franchise before IPL 2012 The Kolkata Knight 
Riders have signed four domestic players to bolster their squad before the start of IPL 2012. The four players signed by the franchise are Debabrata Das, Iresh Saxena, Chirag Jani and Sanju Samson. While Das and Saxena hail from Bengal, Jani comes from Saurashtra and Samson is from Kerala. KKR CEO, Venky Mysore, expressed his satisfaction on the signings saying, “Our latest signings continue to reflect our two chosen areas of local players and emerging talent. “Debabrata and Iresh grow our commitment in our catchment area of Bengal – and we are really happy that they will get a chance to secure their places in our team. “Chirag and Sanju represent our investment towards the future, and we know that they have the talent and dedication to significantly contribute to our team one day.” Debabrata, who was part of the Knight Riders’ squad in the inaugural IPL season, is a 25-year-old middle-order batsman who can double up as wicketkeeper as well. Saxena, a 28-year-old left-arm spinner, meanwhile, has been an important part of the Bengal squad in all three versions of the game. The 22-year-old Jani has emerged as a dependable all-rounder for Saurashtra while Samson is a promising keeper and middle-order batsman. Kolkata, who had made it past the league stage of the competition for the first time in April 2011, had earlier picked up Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine and Marchant de Lange at the 2012 Player Auction. Kolkata will begin their IPL 2012 campaign when they host the Delhi Daredevils on April 5 at the Eden Gardens at 8pm (IST).