Aaron Finch joins Kolkata as Alex Hales’ replacement

In what comes as big news, Australian limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch has joined Kolkata for the upcoming season of the Indian T20 League. This will be the ninth franchise the Australian skipper will play for. The development comes after Alex Hales decided to pull out of the upcoming season citing bio-bubble issues. Hales has been part of several bubbles over the last few months. He played in the Big Bash League and the recently concluded Pakistan Super League.

Meanwhile, Finch will play the Indian T20 League after 2020, where he played for Bangalore. Finch has a decent record in the league, scoring 2005 runs in 85 innings at an average of 25.38.
Meanwhile, the CEO of the Kolkata-based franchise Venky Mysore said that they respect Hales’ decision while welcoming Aaron Finch onboard.

“We respect Alex Hales’ decision of choosing family and mental well-being over his participation in the upcoming season of the ITL. We will miss having him in the Galaxy of Knights this season, but we wish him all the best.

“We are delighted to welcome Aaron Finch, the T20 World Cup-winning captain, to the Kolkata family. He is excited about joining the rest of the Kolkata squad in Mumbai and we look forward to benefiting from his vast experience,” said Venky Mysore in a statement posted by Kolkata’s Twitter handle.