Sanju Samson traded out, Rajasthan Royals add another Malayali to squad

ABU DHABI: Earlier in the IPL, Rajasthan Royals had traded their star player and wicketkeeper Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings. In return, the Royals brought in Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran through the trading window. Now, the Rajasthan Royals have added another Malayali player to their squad through the IPL auction.

The Royals have now signed Vignesh Puthur, the Malayali chinaman spinner who played for Mumbai Indians in the previous IPL season. The Malappuram-born cricketer was bought at his base price of Rs 30 lakh. Vignesh had an impressive debut season, picking up three wickets against MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in his first match. He went on to claim six wickets from five matches before an injury forced him to return home.

Despite the setback, the Mumbai Indians management continued to support his medical treatment. After recovering, Vignesh represented Kerala in domestic tournaments, including the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

A native of Perinthalmanna, Vignesh is the son of Sunil Kumar, an autorickshaw driver, and K.P. Bindu, a homemaker. Meanwhile, Malayali players Salman Nizar and KM Asif went unsold at the auction. KM Asif has previously played for Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.