No pressure on KKR, says Shukla

As the mentor to bowlers, Pakistan pace bowling legend Wasim Akram had played a major role when Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL title last year.

Akram gave up the post last month due to personal issues, but KKR all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla expressed confidence that Brett Lee, who took over as the mentor, could be just as effective.

“We obviously are going to miss Wasim bhai. He has been a great inspiration for all of us. We all know he has some family issues and he is missing his sons very much. But he has promised us that if we play in the Champions League, he will be back to help us out,” Shukla told reporters here.

“Having said that, Brett Lee is always great help for all of us. We all know what he is capable of as a bowler as evidenced by his international records. We will benefit from his presence,” Shukla added.

Shukla said that being the defending champions has not added any extra pressure on the Knight Riders. “For the last few years KKR players have always played under pressure as our team has always been in the focus. Our players are used to it. The win last year is history. We have to begin this time afresh.

“Our preparations have been good and we have played well against DD in the past. So, hopefully we will begin our campaign on a winning note,” he said.
“There’s no added pressure. The only thing that will be different is our confidence. The boys will go out a lot more confident. But it will all boil down to how we perform on the given day,” he signed off.
Knight Riders will open the sixth edition of the IPL with a match against Delhi Daredevils on Wednesday here.