Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have called in New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Seifert as the replacement for injured USA pacer Ali Khan for the remainder of the IPL 2020 in UAE. Ali Khan was himself a replacement for England’s Harry Gurney but carried an injury with him from CPL.

As per reports from ESPNCricinfo, Khan had suffered a side-strain in CPL, which led to him leaving the IPL 2020 without playing a match and Seifert has been included as a replacement.  

IPL 2020: "I started crying", when USA's Ali Khan got told he'll be playing for KKR

A report in Stuff on Friday had mentioned that Northern Districts, Seifert's domestic team, had "confirmed" that the cricketer "was another absentee [for the Plunket Shield] in the coming weeks, summoned to the IPL as a replacement player".

But questions around Khan's match-readiness never quite went away, with an IPL media statement on October 7 saying - prematurely, as it turned out - that he was "injured, and will miss the rest of the season".

Seifert is a short-format specialist, who has turned out for New Zealand in three ODIs and 24 T20Is, and averages 22.85 with a strike rate of 139.75 in the latter. He was Khan’s teammate during the Trinbago Knight Riders' title-winning run at the CPL 2020.

(PTI inputs)