Kings XI send five domestic players home

The dynamics of modern professional sport dictate that teams have to take a practical approach, or in other words take financial aspects into consideration as much as the quality of players in their ranks. Ashutosh Sharma reports.

The dynamics of modern professional sport dictate that teams have to take a practical approach, or in other words take financial aspects into consideration as much as the quality of players in their ranks.

This seems to be the prime objective for Kings XI Punjab, who have decided to send five 'surplus' players home for a fortnight when the team will be playing away games.

The players are Punjab Ranji spinner Bipul Sharma and medium pacer Sandeep Sharma, Haryana wicketkeeper Nitin Saini and batsman Sunny Singh and Rajasthan left-arm pacer Aniket Chaudhary. They are due to rejoin the team on May 1, just before KXIP's next home match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 6.

"The whole team and the management will be travelling for the two weeks in which we only have away games. Since these players are not part of the travelling squad, they have been given time off," said KXIP COO, Arvinder Singh.

The long away-game schedule begins on Tuesday with the match against Delhi Daredevils. The Kings then travel to Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.

Singh added, “The decision doesn’t mean these players are no longer part of the squad. If the need arises, they may join the team in between.”

Last year too, Punjab sent home the likes of Paul Valthaty, Abhishek Nayar and Ramesh Powar.