Krishnappa Gowtham shares heart-warming message for Rajasthan Royals after being traded to Kings XI Punjab

Ahead of the IPL 2020 auction, Rajasthan Royals released 11 players from their squad. After clinching the IPL trophy in 2008, the franchise have failed to replicate their magic in most of the seasons. Royals did pave their way into the playoffs during the 2018 season. However, they had a dismal performance in the 2019 season, finishing seventh on the points table.

After Rajasthan decided to train their long-term captain Ajinkya Rahane to Delhi Capitals for Rahul Tewatia, Steve Smith has been assigned the responsibility of heading the side for the upcoming IPL season. Rajasthan also managed to snap up Dhawal Kulkarni and Ankit Rajpoot after parting ways with Jaydev Undadkat.

One more prominent name in the list of players released by Rajasthan was Krishnappa Gowtham. The Karnataka-born all-rounder was traded to Kings XI Punjab in the players’ transfer window. In the 2018 auction, Gowtham was bought by the Royals at his base price of Rs 20 lakh. He went on to represent the franchise in 2018 and 2019, where he played 15 and seven games respectively.

It was a dreadful last season for Gowtham, who scored 18 runs in seven games besides taking only one wicket. In the 2018 season, the 31-year-old had delivered an impressive performance by scoring 126 runs in 15 games and scalping 11 wickets. After trading skipper Ravichandran Ashwin to Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab were actively searching for a player who could bolster their spin-bowling attack. Gowtham will be hoping to step in Ashwin’s shoes and prove his worth in the upcoming IPL season.

After being released by the Royals, Gowtham posted a heart-warming picture and message for the franchise on his Twitter. “Thank you @rajasthanroyals for all the memories and learning,” wrote the bowling all-rounder. He can be seen training in the Royals jersey in the picture.

Krishnappa Gowtham had smashed 134 runs and scalped eight wickets in a single match in KPL

Recently, the 31-year-old had grabbed the headlines for his phenomenal all-round display in the Karnataka Premier League. In a match against Shivamogga Lions, Gowtham showcased his forte by smashing 134 runs in 56 balls. He also stole the show by scalping eight wickets, which helped his side Bellary Tuskers register a thumping 70-run win.

Gowtham’s scintillating ton was the fastest in the history of KPL. He also registered the highest individual score in the tournament’s history (134). Kings XI Punjab will be expecting a similar all-round show from Gowtham when he will don their jersey in IPL 2020.