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[aryan]

KOLKATA: Indian Premier League side Kolkata Knight Riders has picked its coach and his identity would be revealed soon by the team management, senior batsman Sourav Ganguly said on Wednesday.

Tipped to return as captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL III, Ganguly said, "The coach has been decided. But I cannot announce it. The team management (owners Shah Rukh Khan and Jay Mehta) will do it shortly."

The ace cricketer, who had a morning practice session in the indoor facility of Eden Gardens, said the Knight Riders will play three practice matches with the visiting Champions League Twenty20 teams in the first week of October.

It is learnt that the announcement will be done before the practice matches.

The Kolkata Knight Riders screened a mix of foreign and India coaches in a series of interviews held at Shah Rukh's residence last month.

The foreigners included Pakistani great Wasim Akram, former India coach John Wright, former England all-rounder Dermot Reeve, former Pakistan coach Richard Pybus, former England coach Duncan Fletcher and former Australian batsman Michael Bevan.

The Indians list had former India and Kenya national coach Sandeep Patil, Mumbai Ranji coach Praveen Amre and former Tamil Nadu coach WV Raman among others.

The Kolkata side is also expected to reinstate Ganguly in the captain's seat, that was taken up by New Zealander Brendon McCullum last season.

The Kiwi wicketkeeper batsman will not be available for most of the IPL III (March 12-April 25) as he will be busy playing for the national side against Australia in the home series scheduled in March.

The high-profile side sacked Australia's World Cup winning coach John Buchanan after they finished sixth in the inaugural IPL and slipped to last place last season.

Buchanan's tenure was marred by controversy after the former Australian coach unveiled his multi-captaincy theory that generated a lot of debate worldwide and then replaced Ganguly, the local star, as captain.