IPL auction: Full list of KXIP players and their salaries for 2020 season

Glenn Maxwell was the costliest buy for KXIP, at Rs 10.75 crore, in IPL 2020 auction, while the second-costliest purchase for them this year was Sheldon Cottrell.

Sports News : Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) entered the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 auction with the deepest pockets among the eight IPL teams — an available purse Rs 42.7 crore. This allowed the Chandigarh-based franchise to bid heavily for their picks. 

Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell was the costliest buy for KXIP in the IPL 2020 auction, at Rs 10.75 crore, while their second-costliest purchase was West Indies fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell, renowned for his salute celebration, at Rs 8.50 crore.

Justifying the hefty pay cheque for Maxwell, Punjab’s head coach Anil Kumble said his team needed firepower in the middle order. "For us, the gaps that we had to fill were pretty evident. We had to fill the fast bowlers’ slots and also get power hitters, as we needed someone in the middle order who could really be a destructive player. That is why we chose Glenn Maxwell," Kumble said.

ALSO READ: IPL auction: Full RCB players' list and their salaries for 2020 season

The other big overseas players that came to the KXIP fold were the England cricket team all-rounder Chris Jordon (Rs 3 crore) and New Zealand’s all-rounder James Neesham, who was bought at his base price of Rs 50 lakh. After the auction, Kumble justified the franchise’s decision to spend more money on overseas players. "Of course all-rounders are a blessing if you can get them. And we were lucky to get Neesham, Cottrell and Jordan. Obviously, the choice for the money we had to spend was more on the four foreign players," said Kumle, a veteran Indian spin bowler himself.

Here is the full list of Kings XI Punjab’s IPL 2020 players and their salaries:

Squad strength: 25

Players bought in auction: 9

Overseas players bought: 8

Purse at the end of the auction: Rs 16.50 crore

Australian newspapers lose defamation appeal against Chris Gayle

Gayle also appealed the size of his payout, seeking an increase.

An Australian media group on Tuesday lost an appeal against an AUD 300,000 ($211,000) defamation payout to West Indies cricket star Chris Gayle after claiming he exposed his genitals to a masseuse.

Gayle was accused by former media group Fairfax, which at the time was publisher of The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, of exposing his penis and indecently propositioning the woman in a dressing room during the 2015 World Cup in Sydney.

Gayle vigorously denied the allegations, claiming the journalists behind the series of stories published in the newspapers in 2016 were out to "destroy him".

He won the defamation case in October last year after jurors found Fairfax was motivated by malice and had failed to establish a defence of truth.

The publisher appealed the case arguing it did not receive a fair trial and the judge should have discharged the jury after Gayle's barrister attacked the credibility of the massage therapist.

Gayle also appealed the size of his payout, seeking an increase.

A New South Wales court dismissed both appeals.

Gayle caused a stir in Australia in 2016 prior to the Fairfax stories being published when he attempted to flirt with a presenter on live TV, asking her out for a drink and telling her: "Don't blush, baby."

After winning his court case last year, he tried to spark a bidding war for a tell-all interview, promising that "when I break this down to y'all it will be like a movie".

"Biding (sic) starts at $300K for this interview! So much to say & I will" he tweeted to his then 3.75 million followers.

Fairfax newspapers are now owned by commercial broadcaster Nine Entertainment, which purchased the media company last year.

Business Standard

Gayle opts out ot ODI, T20 series against India, Windies name 3 youngsters

Gayle cited personal reasons for the decision.

Business Standard L: Maverick batsman Chris Gayle Monday opted out of the ODI and T20 series against India citing personal reasons as the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) named three fresh faces for the assignment.

"We will be without our stalwart, Chris Gayle for this Indian tour and the next tour against Bangladesh as he has declined selection at this time, however, he has made himself available for the selection for the visit of England to the Caribbean and the World Cup in 2019," WICB chairman of the selection panel Courtney Browne said in a statement.

The West Indies are currently engaged in a two-Test series in India and are trailing after going down in the opening Test inside three days. The West Indies will play five ODIs and three T20 Internationals. The first ODI will be held in Guwahati on October 21.

With an eye on next year's 50-over World Cup and 2020 World T20 in Australia, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has drafted in three youngsters -- opener Chrandrapaul Hemraj, all-rounder Fabian Allen and fast bowler Oshane Thomas -- in the limited overs squads.

Big-hitting Kieran Pollard, middle-order batsman Darren Bravo and all-rounder Andre Russell have also made a comeback into the T20 squad.

"As we continue our Cricket World Cup preparations, the upcoming tour of India provides a great opportunity to expose some of our young talent," Browne said.

"Opener, Chandrapul Hemraj, all-rounder Fabian Allen and fast bowler Oshane Thomas will get their opportunity to showcase their skills, along with Sunil Ambris, who is returning to the fold.

Russell, however, has been ruled out of all 50-over format due to injury and Alzarri Joseph will undergo a fitness test before leaving for India.

"With the 2020 ICC World T20 two years away and the limited amount of T20 Internationals within the next year, the panel believes at this juncture it is time to invest in the young players that have emerged over the last two years from Windies A and B teams, along with 2018 CPL," Browne explained.

"The selection of a young group two years prior to the World T20 gives the coaching staff time to help them with their skills and for the team to develop into a cohesive and competitive unit.

"The team will continue to retain some experienced players who will work alongside the younger group...offer our congratulations to the players making their international debuts and welcome back Darren Bravo and Kieran Pollard to international cricket," he said.... Read More