Tom Banton, who was brought by the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise for Rs 1 crore, is hopeful that he can learn the art of aggressive batting from Andre Russell, who was the most valuable player for the franchise in the 2019 Indian Premier League. Banton will also link up with the likes of Shivam Mavi and Shubman Gill who were also part of the Under-19 World Cup in 2018.
Tom Banton is considered as one of the most aggressive batsman in the T20 circuit for England. In the 2019 Vitality Blast, Banton smashed 549 runs at a strike rate of 161 in 13 games and that earned him a place in the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise for IPL 2020. Kolkata Knight Riders purchased him for Rs 1 crore and his acquisition has boosted the side’s power hitting, with the presence of Andre Russell. The West Indies all-rounder was the Most Valuable Player for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2019, smashing 510 runs at an average of 56 and consistently guiding the team over the line.
Banton hopes that he can get the fine nuances of power-hitting from Russell, generally acknowledged as the ultimate power-hitter in T20s. “I am 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,” Banton said.
Banton was initially a hockey player who made the switch to cricket. His drag flick skills have been instrumental in his innovative strokeplay. “I was a drag flicker and used to play reverse there quite often. My dad used to play hockey and I kind of followed his footsteps. I was 16-year-old, when things were getting more serious and I had to pick one sport and that’s when I chose cricket,” Banton said.
'IPL the dream'
For Banton, his dream of playing in the IPL has finally come true. His aggressive strokeplay has drawm comparisons with Kevin Pietersen, acknowledged as one of the best batsman to have ever come out of the England set-up in limited overs cricket. Banton, who idolizes Kevin Pietersen said, “He (Pietersen) is one of the greatest players to have played from England. I have watched him while growing up and he was definitely an idol of mine. Honestly, just being part of the IPL is something I have been dreaming of since a very young age. I have been watching IPL every year. I have literally been glued to the IPL from the very first games in the years when it started,” Banton remarked.
Kolkata Knight Riders are the two-time IPL champions, having won the tournament in 2012 and 2014. Since then, they have regularly entered the playoffs but have failed to reach the final.
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 "Andre Russell KKR IPL 2020")
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