'Gambhir and I share the same mentality and think likewise'

Kolkata Knight Riders new coach Trevor Bayliss has said since he shares a good rapport with skipper Gautam Gambhir as they think alike, he is hoping for good results in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

"I met him in Sydney last year when India were playing in Australia. We had an informal talk. But I sense that we share the same mentality and think likewise," Bayliss said in his first media interaction after joining the IPL outfit. 

"I am looking forward to a successful outing with him for KKR."

KKR are yet to win the title from four seasons and have seen two coaches in John Buchanan and Dav Whatmore.

"The T20 cricket is lottery. Anyone can win on a given day," said the 49-year old Australian who is also the coach of Sydney Sixers in the Australian Big Bash. Under his tutelage, the Sixers won the very successful T20 tournament this year beating Perth Scorchers in the final.

"I am very excited about IPL. It should be very interesting here. There are some strong teams in the IPL like Mumbai (Indians), and Chennai (Super Kings). Delhi Daredevils), are also good," Bayliss said.

"We have some excellent players in our side. The talent is enormous...It will be a fresh start with new ideas and new enthusiasm. I am looking forward to meeting the boys," he said. The Australian further said he had been to the Eden Gardens once few years back with Sri Lanka when India won the match. 

Meanwhile, a team official said all the Bengal players (Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Shami Ahmed, Debabrata Das and Iresh Saxena) except Manoj Tiwary, who will be on national duty for the one-off T20 in South Africa, would join the squad on Monday.

Ryan Ten Doeschate, Eoin Morgan and Laxmipathy Balaji will arrive the next day. Along with Tiwary, Jaques Kallis is expected to touch base too. On May 2 or 3, Sunil Narine and Brett Lee are scheduled to join the camp. 

The Knight Riders open their campaign against Delhi Daredevils at home on April 5.