S Sreesanth to return to cricketing action in KCA President’s Cup T20 tournament

S Sreesanth to return to cricketing action in KCA President’s Cup T20 tournament

S Sreesanth Kerala 1

Sreesanth

Indian fast bowler S Sreesanth is all set to return to competitive cricket action as he will feature in Kerala Cricket Association’s (KCA) first T20 tournament, the KCA President’s Cup. The tournament will begin from December 17 of this year if approval is granted by the Kerala state government. When Sreesanth takes the field, it will be his first cricket match since his ban from the game for involving in spot-fixing during the Indian Premier League 2013.

The ban that was handed out to the pacer was initially a life ban but following appeals, it was reduced to a 7-year ban. After the end of the ban, the 37-year-old had stated that he wishes to return to competitive cricketing action again. His return to cricket was also welcomed by Kerala’s head coach Tinu Yohanan.

‘I have put my heart and soul into training’ – Sreesanth

S Sreesanth
Sreesanth during the Cricket World Cup 2011

Following his ban, Sreesanth had expressed how he was raring to return to cricket but the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty surrounding the domestic cricket season had left him shattered in an interview with The Times of India. He had also stated that he would pursue competitive cricket abroad if India doesn’t offer him a good and realistic chance of returning.

Since the lifting of his ban, Sreesanth has been training with the Kerala U-23 team and working on his fitness. The pacer will be the biggest international name in the tournament. He will appear for the Sachin Baby–led Kerala Tigers.

“From last May, I have put my heart and soul into training,” Sreesanth had said following his ban. “So when I read about domestic season being a non-starter, I was shattered. I even thought of quitting the game but thought I wouldn’t be doing justice to myself as all the efforts I’ve made to play the game would have gone down the drain. If the domestic season in India is cancelled, I will have to look at other options. If there is no cricket here, I might as well request the BCCI to allow me to play abroad.”

Also Read: India tour of Australia: ‘New WTC points system is surprising, confusing and difficult to comprehend,’ says Indian skipper Virat Kohli