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

Happy to be back in Indian team: 'Humbled' Rahul on chat show controversy

Rahul said the India A stint under coach Rahul Dravid helped him immensely.

The harrowing time that he faced in the wake of a chat show controversy has "humbled him a little bit", feels opener KL Rahul, who now values his India cap more than ever before.

Both Rahul and Hardik Pandya were provisionally suspended for their loose comments on women during a popular chat show. Their bans were later revoked pending inquiry.

The off-field controversy erupted after Rahul endured a dismal run in the four-Test series in Australia but he is back in the national team after finding his feet with the India A side.

"It was a hard time no doubt. I mean, as a player, as a person, everyone has to go through difficult times and it was my time to go through that and I like I said it gave me time to reflect on my game, on myself. I have always been someone who takes things as it comes," said Rahul after the second T20 International.

India lost the short series 0-2 but Rahul made a successful comeback with scores of 47 and 50. After he was sent back from Australia, Rahul was given the opportunity to regain form in the India A home series against England Lions and he made it count.

Asked if the entire controversy has changed him as a person, the 26-year-old said:"It has humbled me a little bit and you know. I respect the opportunity that I have gotten to play for the country. The dream of every kid is to play for the country and I am no different.

"Just to value where I am, just to keep making opportunities count and put my head down and keep working on my cricket," said the man from Karnataka.

Rahul said the India A stint under coach Rahul Dravid helped him immensely.

"I got some time off from international cricket, so I could come back to India and reflect on what was not going right for me. Fortunately, I got to play some India A games where the pressure is a bit less and where I could focus on my skill and my technique," said Rahul.

"I got to spend a lot of time with Rahul Dravid, working on my game and chatting about cricket. He helped a lot in the five games I played for India A. The time I have spent in the middle has helped. It is nice to be back with the boys and back in blue," the relief was palpable as he spoke.

Rahul hopes that it is a blessing in disguise that he courted controversy early in his international career.

Business Standard

Ind vs Eng 1st Test, day 2: Can Kohli overcome Anderson scare at Edgbaston?

Indian batsmen would look to take advantage of the pitch which looked like a typical sub-continent wicket as the wicket which doesn't have bounce and starting turning from Day 1.

India Vs England : On the Day 2 of first Test match, India took 10 balls to take the last wicket. Now the onus will be on Indian batsmen to put a spirited batting performance to get an upper hand at Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham today. Mohammed Shami took the last wicket as he beautifully set up Sam Curran, an inswinger followed by a delivery shaped away which drew Curran into poking away from his body and a healthy outside edge, easily taken by the Dinesh Karthik. After a sub-par first two session on Day 1 India bounced back brilliantly after a spirited fielding by Virat Kohli to remove Joe Root in the final session picking 6 wickets. Ashwin’s bowling was the highlight of Day 1 as he picked 4 wickets and he will look to get his 5th scalp on day 2. On the other hand, Indian batsmen would look to take advantage of the pitch which looked like a typical sub-continent wicket as the wicket which doesn’t have bounce and starting turning from Day 1.

How Virat Kohli’s inspired fielding effort reduce England to 285/9 from 216/3

At 216/3 England were cruising and it seems they will get past 400- runs marks as Joe Root was looking set to get a big with Jonny Bairstow at the other ens. But a brilliant piece of fielding from Kohli saw the England skipper getting run-out for 80. Root tried to steal a second runoff Ravichandran Ashwin but Kohli ran quickly, picked up the ball and threw it in one swift motion to knock down the stumps with a direct hit. Jonny Bairstow also followed his captain as he chopped on Umesh Yadav delivery onto the wicket and England were not able to recover from the two quick blow after the tea. Ashwin kept things tight and get the two crucial wickets of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler. Read Day 1 session by session report here.

Will India miss Cheteshwar Pujara at Number 3?

Cheteshwar Pujara’s poor form in recent past prompted Virat Kohli to exclude him from the playing 11. But the player-- Shikhar Dhawan—who was preferred over him is also not in the best of his form as he get a pair in the practice game against Essex and also have a very dismal record overseas, averaging only 24. However, Pujara form is also a concern as he didn’t score a half century during the first class summer. He has managed only 172 runs in six matches at an average of 14.33 for Yorkshire. He scored a mere 35 against Afghanistan in Bengaluru, and in the practice game at Chelmsford, he managed 1 and 23. In 2014, too, Pujara had has a poor series with a score of 222 in five matches at 22.20. But given Dhawan’s weakness against the moving ball, Pujara would have been much better choice.

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