Kings XI Punjab's Sandeep Sharma ruled out of Champions League T20

Sandeep Sharma

Kings XI Punjab pacer Sandeep Sharma has been ruled out of the 2014 Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20), which begins on September 13, with a side strain that will see him remain on sidelines until December this year. Sandeep, who was the wrecker-in-chief for the Punjab franchise this year taking 18 wickets in 11 matches, has been struggling with this injury for some time now and was forced to miss the ongoing India A’s tour of Australia.

"Sandeep Sharma is one of the players who will be absent in the CLT20 due to an injury. Otherwise, all the other players are fit and available. Our coaching staff is keeping a tab on the fitness and availability of the players," KXIP's Chief Operations Officer Fraser Castellino told PTI.

Kings XI COO hopeful of a productive Champions League

This will be the Punjab-based franchise’s first ever CLT20, as, with the exception of its inaugural edition in 2008 when the tournament was cancelled due to Mumbai terror attacks, they have never reached the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to put themselves in contention; Castellino, however, is hopeful of the team putting up a good performance in the star-studded T20 event.

"This is the first time we will be playing CLT20. We were in the semi-finals during the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008 but there was no CLT20 back then. After the kind of performance we have had in the IPL, the CLT20 will give us another opportunity to enhance our reputation and also increase our fan base in the process," he said.

Stocks on the rise

The COO went on to add that their performance in the IPL last season, apart from earning them a lot of plaudits, has also resulted in a massive surge in their market valuation.

"Look, the team was bought for around USD 76 million. Even by moderate estimation after covering all costs, the valuation of the franchise will be around USD 200 million," he said.

One of the main reasons for the improvement in their performances was their smart auction strategy, which saw them buying the likes of Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey at a relative bargain prices. Talking about the auctions last year, he said: "We have always believed in smart spending which was evident in the manner we selected our squad at the auctions. We tried to mix and match and create an ideal blend. We ended up saving Rs 4 crores out of the Rs 60 crores purse.”

"Unlike some other franchises, we didn't spend so much on conventional marketing or merchandising. We used the social and digital platforms to connect with the new age fans. We created mobile apps, used twitter and instagram to good effect. Also we got a handsome purse by finishing runners-up," Castellino signed off.

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