Kuldeep Yadav had 'a strong feeling' that KKR would win IPL 2019 title

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Kuldeep Yadav has said that he had a strong feeling of the franchise winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) last year.

KKR failed to reach the playoffs in the 2019 edition after finishing at the fifth place with 12 points from 14 matches.

In the 2018 edition, the side managed to reach the playoffs but lost the eliminator against SunRisers Hyderabad.

"I had a strong feeling last year that we would win. Even in 2018, we were playing great cricket and I was sure we would win the title. I remember the match we lost against Sunrisers Hyderabad (in qualifier 2). I was out of the ground because my spell was over. They were on 125 and I thought they would not go beyond 145. But Rashid Khan came into the middle and changed the game. We were just one step away from entering the final," the official website of KKR quoted Kuldeep as saying.

"It was a heart-breaking moment when we lost the match. If we can strike a good combination, we can certainly win it this year. After all, it's cricket, we will win sooner or later," he added.

The IPL 2020 will be played in the UAE from September 19-November 10 across three venues -- Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.

On Saturday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that 13 personnel including two players tested positive for COVID-19.

However, the board did not specify as to which team has how many confirmed cases. The identity of the players and staff was also not revealed.

"13 personnel have tested positive of which 2 are players. All the affected personnel as well as their close contacts are asymptomatic and have been isolated from other team members. They are being monitored by the IPL Medical Team," the BCCI had said in an official release.

All players and team personnel are required to undergo a six-day quarantine period after landing in the UAE and everyone needs to be tested for COVID-19 thrice.

Once, they all test negative for COVID-19, the players can start training in the UAE with their team-mates.

The final match of the 2020 edition is scheduled to be played on a weekday, i.e. Tuesday, for the first time in the history of the T20 tournament.

This time, both the afternoon and evening matches will be played half-an-hour earlier than usual.