World Cup winning skipper joins Kolkata as Alex Hales' replacement

Kolkata has roped in Australia limited overs skipper Aaron Finch for the 2022 season of the Indian T20 League. The Australian white-ball skipper went unsold in the ITL mega auction. The development comes after Alex Hales pulled out of the tournament. Alex Hales cited bio-bubble fatigue as the reason to give the cash rich leave a skip. He took  to Twitter to post a long message explaining his decision.

"Hi guys, I am sad to announce that I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the forthcoming IPL. Having spent the last four months away from home in restrictive bio bubbles’ and having tested positive for COVID myself in Australia, I don’t feel as though I can commit myself to another extended period within a secure environment," he said.

"It wouldn’t be fair on the team or myself if I wasn’t able to perform to the level expected of me as a result of ongoing bubble fatigue.

"I’m truly gutted to have to turn down one of the best opportunities of my career due to the toll that the last two years of bubble life have taken on my mental well-being. I’ll now take some time to rest and recharge ahead of the summer.

"I want to thank KKR for believing in me during the auction and for their ongoing support in recent weeks. I wish Baz, Shreyas, and the team the best of luck for the tournament and hope to see the Knight Riders fans at some point in the future."

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— Alex Hales (@AlexHales1) March 11, 2022

Meanwhile, Aaron Finch will be playing for his 9th franchise in the Indian T20 League. Kolkata has signed him for a price of 1.5 crores. The 20-20 World Cup-winning captain has played 88 games in T20Is and has close to 2700 runs. He also has played 87 ITL games, with over 2000 runs and 14 half-centuries.

Kolkata will play the season opener against the defending champions, Chennai, on the 26th of March.