Australia’s limited overs captain Aaron Finch has reacted to signing ahead of the 2022 tournament season with a record-breaking ninth IPL franchise.
IPL 2022: Aaron Finch announces he approved KKR deal before speaking to wife Amy (Reuters)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Aaron Finch has signed with the Kolkata Knight Riders
- KKR is the Australian captain’s ninth team in the IPL
- KKR meets defending champions CSK in the first game of the 2022 IPL
Australia’s limited overs captain Aaron Finch has signed for his ninth team in the Indian Premier League ahead of the 2022 tournament season. He went unsold at this year’s auction but Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) signed him to replace Alex Hales, who retired due to bubble fatigue.
Finch, who last played for Royal Challengers Bangalore at IPL 2020, will play for KKR, his record-breaking ninth franchise in IPL history. The aggressive opener, who started with the Rajasthan Royals in 2010, later played for the Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors, SunRisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions and Punjab Kings.
In an interview with cricket.com.au, Finch said he misses a team’s jersey but can’t remember which one.
“Good question. There is one team I miss a shirt from, but I can’t remember which one.”
“I was at dinner with my wife and texted back to (KKR head coach) Brendon McCullum before I reported it to Amy. Every time we plan a vacation, something comes up. For the past six years – obviously the two with Covid made it a bit difficult – every time we’ve made a holiday plan something has happened at the last minute. She wasn’t surprised but very supportive. She and Esther (her daughter) will eventually come to India (sic),”
“The ability to keep training and playing over there would be very important. The competition is tough. I think guys who keep testing themselves, guys who haven’t been through before they go head-to-head against the best, really are important.”
The opener is likely to miss the opening few games of the season as he will be part of Australia’s limited overs series in Pakistan. Upon his return, he will compete with the likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Venkatesh Iyer and Sam Billings for a spot on KKR’s Playing XI.
