Former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee feels that Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) have the right head coach in Anil Kumble this Indian Premier League (IPL) season. (More Cricket News)
"Having someone like that (Anil Kumble) in terms of the mix of the team and certainly the squad will be invaluable. The knowledge, the experiences, will definitely help," Lee said on Star Sports show Cricket Connected.
Kumble was roped in as the head coach by KXIP in October, 2019. The 49-year-old, who had a brief stint with the Indian men's team as head coach between 2016 and 2017, is currently the only Indian head coach in the IPL.
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The former India captain was the Mumbai Indians mentor in 2013 before quitting in 2015. He is the fifth coach to join the Punjab-based franchise in the last five editions.
"Kings XI need to win, they have got a great squad, they have got a wonderful team that can definitely get close and close but they have not got over the line yet, so, I'm actually waiting for that to happen, Lee added.
But KXIP are yet to taste the IPL success. They had reached the semi-finals in 2008 and finished second-best after losing in the final to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2014 edition.
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"A great franchise to play for, I put up my hand-up and say that was a lot of fun to play for that franchise," Lee, who has played for KXIP and KKR, said.
The 2020 edition of IPL will be held in the United Arab Emirates from September 19 to November 10 in a controlled environment owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
