263 players for IPL 2; KKR to have a jumbo squad

The 45-day second season of the IPL, to be held from April 10-May 24, would see a total of 263 players, including 80 foreigners, in action, the organisers said while releasing the players’ list.

The 45-day second season of the IPL, to be held from April 10-May 24, would see a total of 263 players, including 80 foreigners, in action, the organisers said while releasing the players’ list on Friday.

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Barring players from Pakistan, who have not been allowed to take part in the cash-rich Twenty20 league by their government, the other eight Test playing nations as well as ICC’s full member Zimbabwe would be represented in the event, a media release said in Mumbai.

Apart from the centrally contracted international players from the country, a host of additional Indian first class cricketers as well as under-22 and 19 players have been drafted into the different teams as per the statutory guidelines drawn up by the IPL.

King’s XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians will have only 14 and 15 Indian players, respectively, on their roster, while Kolkata Knight Riders have as many as 46 which makes theirs a jumbo squad of 56, including 10 overseas players, it said.

Commending the franchisees for investing in young Indian talent, IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said all the eight teams “seem to have struck a fine balance”.