Trivandrum Royals Bank on Strength in KCL; Krishna Prasad Retained as Captain

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Trivandrum Royals have retained Krishna Prasad as captain for the third season of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL). He also led the side in the previous season. The franchise has appointed Sijomon Joseph as vice-captain for the upcoming edition.

The Royals have assembled a well-balanced 16-member squad with strong batting and bowling resources after making impressive acquisitions at the player auction. Trivandrum Royals will begin their campaign against Alleppey Ripples on August 21.

Krishna Prasad, who emerged as the highest run-scorer of the previous season, has been reappointed captain following his outstanding performances. He led from the front with 479 runs, including a century. The franchise had earlier retained Krishna Prasad, Govind Dev Pai, and V. Ajith ahead of the auction. The team management utilized the entire auction purse of ₹50 lakh to build a formidable squad for the new season.

One of the Royals’ biggest signings was explosive batter and IPL player Vishnu Vinod, whose inclusion significantly strengthens the batting lineup. With Krishna Prasad, Govind Dev Pai, and Vishnu Vinod at the top, the Royals boast one of the strongest top orders in the league this season. In addition to Vishnu Vinod, Ujwal Krishna and Bharat Surya are the other wicketkeepers in the squad.

The Royals also possess impressive all-round strength. Experienced all-rounders Sijomon Joseph and C. V. Vinod Kumar were signed at the auction, while Akshay Manohar and M. Nikhil have also been included in the squad. M. Nikhil, who was in excellent form during the recently concluded NSK Trophy, was acquired for ₹6.20 lakh. His addition is expected to provide greater stability to the middle order.

The bowling attack is equally formidable this season. V. Ajith, who spearheaded the Royals’ bowling unit last season, will be joined by Basil N. P., Rahul Chandran, and Sreehari Nair, giving the team a potent bowling lineup. Abhishek P. Nair, K. Ajish, and Sudheesh Mohan are among the other key members of the squad