IPL 2024: 'Russell is my idol; I want to win games for KKR like he does', says Ramandeep Singh

New Delhi: Ramandeep Singh, the seam-bowling all-rounder, who will be plying his trade for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2024, said he is eager to team up with Andre Russell and wants to win games for the two-time champions in the way the big-hitting all-rounder does.

Ramandeep, who plays for Punjab in domestic cricket, made five IPL appearances for Mumbai Indians – with his most notable contributions coming in the form of 3/20 against SRH and 2/29 against DC. After being released by Mumbai, Ramandeep was roped in by KKR ahead of IPL 2024 season at the auction in Dubai last year.

"I’ve been following Russell right from the start and have seen how he creates an impact in the T20 format with bat as well as ball. Whenever I bat, I try and think what Andre would do in this situation and then look to execute that. As far as the bowling is concerned, Russell bowls the most difficult overs for his team and he’s won so many games for KKR. I hope even I’m able to win matches for KKR like Andre," said Ramandeep to KKR Knight Club.

Talking about how he got to know KKR picked him, Ramandeep said he had a hunch about being picked by the franchise. "I was following the auction on TV but once my name came up, I switched off the telecast thinking we’ll see what happens. In some time, I started getting calls and messages from my family and friends that I was picked by KKR.

"I hoped that KKR would pick me and I was glad that it happened. I’ve heard a lot that this is one of the best franchises in terms of supporting the players on improving their skills and having quality practice sessions. So, I'm very happy to be picked by KKR."

He hopes that the KKR stint in IPL 2024 propels him to represent India in future. "I’m very excited. Knowing that many KKR players have represented the Indian team recently fills me with confidence, because the ultimate goal of any cricketer is to represent the country.

"I’m hoping to perform for this franchise and go on to fulfill my dream of representing the Indian team. I’ve already had a great time at KKR Academy, working with Abhishek Nayar sir. He’s one of the best coaches going around in India so I’m very happy to be working with him.

"The support that Eden Gardens shows towards KKR is second to none and I’m very excited to experience the cheers of the fans. The support and the backing KKR fans have for this franchise is incredible and I want to perform for them and help KKR propel towards glory," he concluded.

KKR will commence its main pre-season camp in Kolkata ahead of the 2024 edition from March 15. Their IPL 2024 campaign starts against 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad at their home ground Eden Gardens on March 23.

KKR squad for IPL 2024: Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Sherfane Rutherford, Manish Pandey, KS Bharat, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Andre Russell, Nitish Rana, Venkatesh Iyer, Anukul Roy, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, Vaibhav Arora, Chetan Sakariya, Harshit Rana, Suyash Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Dushmantha Chameera, Sakib Hussain and Mujeeb Ur Rahman