Fit Shreyas' Return A Big Boost For KKR: Pandit

Kolkata chief coach happy with team balance ahead of new season

- ASHOK VENUGOPAL

KOLKATA Knight Riders, in their quest for the third IPL crown, having been making the right moves. First, they brought back their two-time winning captain Gautam Gambhir as mentor and later, picked the world best left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc to bolster their attack.

KKR chief coach Chandrakant Pandit, too, insists that things are going smoothly and assures that his team is on track to perform to its potential in this edition of the Indian Premier League. "The preparation is going on nicely. All the boys are focussed and eager to perform. They are aware of their roles and are keen to deliver," Pandit told this daily.

While there have been some reports that Shreyas Iyer has had some recurring back problems, Pandit said that the captain is "absolutely fine." "He already played a practice game as well and he's been practicing, so he's absolutely fine. His (Iyer) coming back into the team is a big boost for us as he is a class batter and an able captain," revealed Pandit.