‘Injured’ veteran Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc handed over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cap to Sri Lanka seamer Dushmantha Chameera for his debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Friday.
Starc was replaced by Chameera in the clash after suffering a cut to his finger during the previous match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
“Starcy (Mitchell Starc) got a cut on his finger in the last game, Dushmantha Chameera replaces him,” KKR captain Shreyas Iyer confirmed at the toss.
Joining the elite list of our Lankan Knights 💜🙌 pic.twitter.com/s1sPOyVyp1
— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 26, 2024
Chameera was roped in by the two-time champions as a replacement for England pacer Gus Atkinson after he had withdrawn from the lucrative tournament. He joined KKR at a reserve price of INR 50 Lakh.
The Sri Lankan speedster is known for his searing pace and wicket-taking abilities. Chameera has come up the ranks and grown as a bowler in the past couple of years, to become an integral part of any team he represents.
“The speedster will add a lot of depth to a versatile pace-bowling unit of the Knight Riders and will be an exciting addition to the squad,” the franchise said in a media release.
The 32-year-old has featured in the IPL with Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants in the past. He has played 12 IPL matches, scalping nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.73.
In the T20s, Chameera has made 119 appearances and scalped 118 wickets at an average of 28.36. He has four four-wicket hauls to his name and can bowl at 140 kmph regularly.