West Indies bowler Sheldon Cottrell praised the Indian batsman KL Rahul ahead of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League in UAE.
The Kings XI Punjab side will be led by KL Rahul this year and Cottrell is excited to play under his leadership in the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020.
“He is a phenomenal cricketer, looking forward to picking his brains,” Cottrell said.
The 13th edition of the IPL will be played across three venues i.e., Abu Dhabi, UAE and Sharjah between September 19-November 10.
Kings XI Punjab bought the West Indies pacer for a whopping 8.5 crores at the IPL 2020 auction in December last year. He will play alongside his countrymen Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran in his debut season of the IPL.
“I am very much excited about playing in the IPL. I just cannot wait to be with the Kings XI family. I am looking forward to playing under the captaincy of KL Rahul, he is a wonderful guy. I would be playing alongside Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran as well. I am going to give my 120 per cent all the time,” Cottrell told ANI.
Cottrell also spoke about his first interaction with KL Rahul in India last year when West Indies toured India for the series.
“The first time I spoke with KL Rahul was when India last toured the Caribbean, we talked briefly, he is a phenomenal cricketer, he is so cool and calm. I am looking forward to trading information with him, I would look to pick his brains as he has played a lot more cricket than I have. I am really excited to play under his leadership and to see what leadership qualities he brings to the table,” Cottrell added.
The 30-year-old is famous for one of the most unique wicket celebrations in the game today. Whenever he took a wicket of a batsman, he gives a salute which is a testament to his time spent in the Jamaican Defence Force.
When asked to give his take on playing the T20 format behind closed doors, Cottrell replied: “I would say playing behind closed doors would not make much of an impact, it will be a bit different though. Playing in Caribbean domestic leagues, we are used to playing in front of empty stadiums, I am just looking forward to bring my A-game and my ‘salutes’ to the fans who are watching worldwide.”
Cottrell has played 35 ODIs and 27 T20Is and taken 49 and 36 wickets respectively in his International career so far.
