Mumbai: Indian Premier League team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has announced its skipper for the upcoming season of the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL).
Indian wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik will now lead the Kolkata franchise in the IPL games. The 32-year old Tamil Nadu cricketer was picked up by KKR for Rs 7.4 crore in this year's auction.
Karthik was leading the race for the captaincy role in the team after KKR decided not to retain or buy back Delhi opener and their long serving skipper Gautam Gambhir.
"It is an honour to represent Kolkata Knight Riders, one of the most successful franchises in the IPL and I look forward to this new challenge. I am excited about the squad that has been assembled, which has a great combination of experience and youth. I will do my best to represent brand KKR and the millions of KKR fans," Karthik said.
Robin Uthappa, also in contention for the captain's role, was named the vice-captain of the Knight Riders.
Karthik played for Gujarat Lions in the 2017 IPL, amassing 361 runs at an average of 36.1. He has played 228 T20s, apart from 14 internationals for India, with 4,441 runs and 186 dismissals to his name.
Dinesh Karthik has experience of leading the Tamil Nadu side in domestic tournaments and also won the Duleep Trophy last year as the skipper of India Red.