Mohammad Kaif’s fortunes changed within an hour at the auction on Monday. Kaif was bailing out Central Zone after they fell to nine for three on Day One of their Duleep Trophy semifinal against East Zone at Amritsar.
At the same time, here in Mumbai, Kaif was getting a second chance. At a base price of $100,000, Kaif, who was released by Rajasthan Royals, received no bids when he came up for sale.
However, with the auction officially closed, Bangalore Royal Challengers’ owner Vijay Mallya inquired if he could bid for Kaif. Buying Kaif wouldn’t eat into the overseas player slots of the teams.
Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab also jumped into the fray and it was clear that Kaif was back in business. He finally went for $250,000, to Kings XI Punjab. IPL sources confirmed that Kaif was the biggest gainer of the day in terms of money as Rajasthan Royals too would have paid him for buying out his contract.
“I am happy that Kings XI Punjab believed in my abilities. At this stage of my career this is a big boost. I would love to contribute towards making the team the best side. However, it is too early for me to comment on what kind of role I’ll be playing. I am looking forward to playing in the IPL again,” Kaif told DNA.
The Central Zone skipper, however, hinted that he was most comfortable batting up the order.
“I believe that I can contribute up the order. I may not have many big shots but I can take advantage of the field restrictions in the first six overs and then I am capable of batting right through the innings. However, unless I meet the Kings XI Punjab coach and captain and team management I can’t jump to conclusions about where I will bat.”
