IPL: Umar Gul says his time with Kolkata Knight Riders was 'like a festival'

Veteran Pakistani pacer Umar Gul has expressed his thoughts about the time he spent with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Back when the IPL first kicked off in India, Pakistani cricketers were allowed to take part in the tournament with the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Shahid Afridi, Salman Butt, Sohail Tanvir, etc adding extra zest to the star-studded league.

Gul, who was a key member of KKR's bowling regime during the inaugural season back in 2008, claimed that the T20 tournament was like a festival.

"We enjoyed a lot. First time such a private league was happening. I remember I was the highest wicket-taker in the 2007 World Cup and I was picked almost at the end in the IPL," Gul was quoted as saying on a talk show. 

"We were playing a home series against Bangladesh and Brendon McCullum smashed 150 in our first match. We were very excited."

"Then we went to India. There are a lot of fans of Pakistani players in India. IPL was a totally different thing, it was like a festival," he added.

The 36-year-old also spoke about the glamourous post-match parties and claimed photoshoots and parties would happen regardless what the match result was.

"You play the match and then after the match there would be a program at the hotel. That was especially the case with KKR, with Shahrukh Khan as the owner. Whether you won the match or lost, we used to have a photoshoot after the match for their brand and sponsors. And then we used to have team parties," the PAK pacer said.

"It was a great experience. I got to learn a lot because I was still young and we got to share the dressing room with players like Ricky Ponting. It was great and it brought professionalism in us. We got to know how these legendary cricketers spend their lives," he added