IPL 2022 champions Gujarat Titans trade Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz to Kolkata Knight Riders

Just a couple of days before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Retention Day deadline ends, IPL 2022 champions Gujarat Titans have traded New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson and Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz to two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday (November 13). It is second official trade announced in this window with Mumbai Indians bringing home Australian pacer Jason Behrendorff from Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday (November 12).

“New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been traded from Gujarat Titans to Kolkata Knight Riders for the upcoming TATA IPL 2023. He played 13 matches for Gujarat Titans and picked 12 wickets that included a 4-wicket haul,” the BCCI announced in a statement on Sunday.

“Kolkata Knight Riders have also traded Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz from Gujarat Titans. He was included in the Gujarat Titans squad in the 2022 TATA IPL edition as a replacement for England batter Jason Roy but did not play any game last season,” the statement added.

NEWS : Lockie Ferguson and Rahmanullah Gurbaz traded from Gujarat Titans to Kolkata Knight Riders. #TATAIPL

More Details https://t.co/FwBbZbwcP9 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) November 13, 2022

Ferguson was one of the fastest bowlers in IPL 2022, clocking at over 150kph regularly in the T20 league. Apart from 12 wickets in the 2022 season, Ferguson also picked up 13 wickets in just 8 games in 2021 for Kolkata Knight Riders, where he will be back in 2023.

The New Zealand pacer was bought for a whopping Rs 10 crore in the IPL 2022 mega auction earlier this year from a base price of Rs 2 crore. Gurbaz, on the other hand, joined the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans for just Rs 50 lakh to replace Englishman Jason Roy, who pulled out of IPL 2022 at the last moment.

The trading window for all 10 IPL franchises ahead of the December 23 mini-auction is 430pm on November 15. Officially, only three trades have been done so far, with Behrendorff, Ferguson and Gurbaz being the three.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings have roped in former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin as their fielding coach and former South Africa pacer Charl Langeveldt as their bowling coach for IPL 2023.