With the novel coronavirus taking a grip across the globe, the future of the forthcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) looks grim. But Kolkata Knight Riders have received a massive boost with star England opener Tom Banton confirming his availability if BCCI stages the tournament.
The tournament which was initially slated to commence from March 29 has been postponed until April 15 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Amid all the ruckus, the participation of the overseas cricketers look in jeopardy – which has been the star attraction of the event over the years.
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But Tom Banton has shown his intention to play in IPL 2020 if the tournament takes place, a report in Sportstar suggests. He is the third player after Sunrisers Hyderabad’s David Warner and Mumbai Indians’ Mitchell McClenaghan, who have confirmed their availability for the competition.
“Tom will follow all government advice and be guided by his core employer Somerset Ccc and also ECB. He really hopes the IPL can go ahead as long as safety for all concerned is in place with regard to Coronavirus,” a source told Sportstar.
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The cricketer from England was anticipated to set the auction room on fire but only attracted one bid from Kolkata Knight Riders. Recently, Banton was a part of Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League 2020. The right-handed batsman had a disappointing season and only managed 74 runs in seven innings at 12.33.
Tom Banton has played three T20Is and the same number of ODIs for England. So far, he has 56 runs in T20Is while he has only managed 50 runs in two innings
