Youngster Tom Banton is all geared up to make his IPL debut with Kolkata Knight Riders

English cricketer Tom Banton is all geared up to make his IPL debut in the upcoming edition where he will be representing Kolkata Knight Riders. Banton is one of England's most sought after players in the T20I format and he will definitely be hoping to prove a point or two for KKR this year.

'I am particularly excited to play': Tom Banton

“I am particularly excited to play alongside Andre Russell and Pat Cummins. I watched Andre last year, and he played really well. Learning from someone like him will be really cool,” said Banton while speaking on kkr.in.

“There are a few guys of my age.(Shivam) Mavi, (Kamlesh) Nagarkoti and Shubman (Gill) whom I have played against when I was younger. It would be great to see them again,” the English opener added.

KKR in IPL 2020

The Knights will be hoping to win their third IPL crown in the 13th edition of the cash-rich tournament that will be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10. The KKR players have already reached the Gulf for participating in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League. The Dinesh Karthik-led side are staying at The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal.

Karthik on the other hand will be leading the two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders in the 13th edition of the cash-rich tournament. He was last seen in action during the heartbreaking World Cup 2019 semi-final against New Zealand at Manchester and has not been in the Indian team management's scheme of things since then. He will be hoping to make his bat do the talking as well as showcase some extraordinary performances behind the stumps and eye a comeback in the shortest format for Team India as the countdown to the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 begins.

The IPL 2020

Four-time winners Mumbai Indians will be defending their title this time around. Coming back to IPL 2020, it will also be the first time that an IPL final will be played on a weekday. The tournament decider will be played on the day of Diwali. This will be the third time that the IPL will be held outside India (after 2009, and 2014 editions) and at the same time, it will also be the second occasion after 2009 where all the IPL matches will be played abroad.

The 2009 edition was entirely held in South Africa due to the General Elections. The tournament was won by the now-defunct Deccan Chargers who had edged past the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a low-scoring thriller. The first half of the 2014 edition was held in the UAE due to the General Elections while the second half of that tournament was played in India.

READ: IPL 2020: Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals Players Train Under Floodlights

(Image Courtesy: Twitter)