West Indies captain Darren Sammy will play for the newly formed Sunrisers Hyderabad in this year’s Indian Premier League, after fetching a price of US$425 000 in Sunday’s auction.
The 29-year-old all-rounder, who has never campaigned before in the high profile, multi-million dollar Twenty20 league, heads a list of five Caribbean players who were drafted by franchises.
Sammy, who skippers West Indies in all three formats of the game, presided over their capture of the Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka last year. He is a hard-hitting lower order batsman and a steady medium pacer who has played 37 T20 Internationals.
Hyderabad has replaced the now defunct Deccan Chargers and is owned by media company Sun TV Network.
Sammy will be joined in the IPL by fast bowlers Ravi Rampaul who was snapped up by Royal Challengers Bangalore for US$290 000 and Fidel Edwards who was sold for US$210 000 to Rajasthan Royals.
Young Barbadian seamer Jason Holder, who made his international debut last Friday against Australia in the first one-dayer in Perth, has been picked up for US$20 000 by the Chennai Super Kings.
The 21-year-old Holder has never played a T20 International.
Christopher Barnwell’s heroics for Guyana in last month’s Caribbean T20 has resulted in him gaining favour with Royal Challengers Bangalore for US$50 000. The all-rounder has played four T20s for West Indies.
There was disappointment, however, for stylish left-hander Darren Bravo, Test wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, and spinners Veerasammy Permaul, Devendra Bishoo and Sulieman Benn all of whom went unsold.
Marquee players Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, Andre Russell, Samuel Badree and Kevon Cooper were not involved in the auction as they all already hold IPL contracts.
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