New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme has been brought in to replace suspended Andre Russell in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad ahead of the Indian Premier League 2017, the franchise stated in a release.
Earlier in the year, Russell was slapped with a one-year suspension for violating anti-doping rules. The 30-year-old De Grandhomme has featured in six Tests, nine One-Day Internationals and eight T20 Internationals for New Zealand thus far.
The Zimbabwe-born has been a revelation in the five-day format for the Kiwis. He marked his Test debut with a match-winning six-wicket haul against Pakistan in late 2016. Recently, De Grandhomme’s all-round display at Hamilton had South Africa on the ropes but the Proteas escaped with a draw to win the three-match Test series 1-0.
Two-time champions KKR commence their IPL 2017 campaign on Friday at Rajkot, where they face Gujarat Lions.
