IPL 2020 | Had to let him go with a heavy heart: KKR captain Dinesh Karthik on explosive opener Chris Lynn

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Dinesh Karthik on Thursday opened up on the big decision made by the franchise last year on not retaining explosive Australia batsman Chris Lynn. The right-handed opening batsman was bought by KKR first in 2014 auctions, and then he was later bought by the franchise for a whopping 9.6 crore in 2018 auctions.

Despite Lynn’s high stakes, KKR decided to let go of the opener last year. The batsman was picked straightaway at his base price of Rs 2 crore by Mumbai Indians at the auction in December. (IPL 2020 full coverage)

Speaking in a video uploaded on the KKR official website, Karthik explained the reasons behind KKR letting go of the batsman.

“We had to let go of Lynn with a heavy heart, whatever time he spent with the franchise, he was an absolute gun,” he said.

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“Such are the dynamics of the auction that you have to let go of some players, Lynn is somebody I am really fond off, he brings a lot to the table,” Karthik further added.

Meanwhile, the wicketkeeper-batsman also went on to praise England captain Eoin Morgan who was bought by KKR for Rs 5.25 crore and said that his experience in the middle will certainly help him.

“Eoin Morgan is there with us for this season, I have met him a couple of times, he is a gem of a guy, being a solid human being is something that everyone looks at, he is a World Cup-winning captain.

“England is the best white-ball team in the world, I would try to learn from him, he has a great mind,” Karthik added.

The 13th edition of IPL kicks off from September 19th in the UAE, with the final to be played from November 10th. The matches will take place in three cities - Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.