Cape Town: Mohammad Kaif will not feature in the second edition of the Indian Premier League after his team Rajasthan Royals dumped the Team India discard in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The Rajasthan Royals, which won last year's inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament, has axed former Test player and Uttar Pradesh captain Mohammad Kaif and seven other players from the squad that will do duty in the second edition.
They will now fly back to India. Kaif was purchased for a hefty 675,000 US dollars at the auction last year, but didn't have much of a role during the victorious campaign.
Kaif had played all the matches last year, but could manage only 176 runs at an average of just 16. He didn't make a single half century, largely because he was shunted lower down the order. The 28-year-old Kaif has played 13 Tests and 125 one-dayers for India so far, reports said.
Manoj Badale, Chairman and co-owner of the Jaipur-based franchisee, said Kaif got the boot as the team management shortlisted 17-18 players for the Twenty20 league starting on Saturday. The only way Kaif would be back is if any other player sustains injury, he added.
"It has always been a target to pick a final squad of 17-18 players, and this year we have an even stronger squad than last year. It is disappointing to have to let go of any players, as they are all stars in our view," Badale said.
Claiming the franchisee was a close-knit family where a player's participation is not about one season alone, Badale said axed players would have a role to play in future matches and tournaments.
"Much of the attention will focus on Mohammed Kaif, who has been a key part of our success to date, not just as a batsman, but as a role model for our younger Indian players. He has been extremely supportive of the decision, which says a lot about him as a person. Injuries and new conditions mean that the player's participation later in the tournament is not ruled out," added Badale.
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