Ali Khan's last-minute inclusion in the Kolkata squad makes him the very first player from the United States to participate in the Indian Premier League.
With a shoulder injury putting Harry Gurney out of action, Kolkata brought in Pakistan-born American Ali Khan to replace the Englishman at the squad for the 2020 season, which gets underway on Saturday, September 19.
All the way from the US of A! 🇺🇸
— KolkataKnightRiders (@Kolkataiders) September 14, 2020
Welcome to #Kolkata, @IamAlikhan23
👋#HaiTaiyaar #Dream11IPL pic.twitter.com/c9ExjmVvBY
Ali Khan will be coming off the high of having won the Caribbean Premier League title recently with the Trinbago Knight Riders, who won all 12 matches en route to wrapping up the championship. The Trinbago Knight Riders belong to the same parent company as Kolkata.
His path to the Caribbean Premier League was drawn when the Windies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo spotted him in action at the 2018 Global T20 Canada.
At the World Cricket League Division Two event in Namibia last year, Khan was instrumental in the USA attaining ODI status.
Knight Riders chief executive Venky Mysore took to Twittier to write, "Welcome to the #Kolkatafamily @IamAlikhan23 ! Enjoy @IPL & the experience. Tough luck @gurneyhf . Get well soon. You will be missed."
Left-arm fast-bowler Gurney, with 10 ODIs and two T20Is under his belt, had to pull out of the Indian Premier League as well as England's T20 Blast owing to shoulder surgery.
Feature image courtesy: Facebook / @ahsanalikhan99
