Shepherd traded to Mumbai Indians

MUMBAI, India (CMC):

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) have added West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd to their roster for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League after finalising a trade deal with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Shepherd has only played four IPL matches, representing LSG and Sunrisers Hyderabad, and was traded to MI for his existing fee of US $60,000, but he will be hoping for significant more time on the field, where he has earned a tidy reputation.

The 28-year-old is regarded for his pace bowling skills, boasting a repertoire of variations that will enable his captain to call upon him in different match situations, and he can transform the innings of the side with his more than capable lower-order batting.

Shepherd was a part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors side that won the Caribbean Premier League tournament for the first time this past September, and he has become an integral member of the West Indies Twenty20 International set-up.

He has scored 301 runs in 31 matches at an average of 37.62 while striking at 153.57, and he has taken 31 wickets at an average of 29.70.

MI finished fourth in this year’s IPL tournament with eight wins in 14 matches. They went on to defeat LSG in the first elimination final before losing at the hands of Gujarat Titans in the second elimination final.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the upcoming IPL auction for the will take place in Dubai, marking the first time that the event will take place outside of the country.

Last year, the auction was scheduled to be hosted in Istanbul, Turkey, before a late move to be hosted in the Indian city of Kochi.

Organisers have also extended the deadline for the list of released players from November 15 to November 26.

At the same time, Bloomberg News reported yesterday that Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in buying a multibillion-dollar stake in the IPL.

The report indicated that advisers of Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have sounded out Indian government officials about moving the IPL into a holding company valued at as much as US$30 billion.