'I think my work speaks for itself' - Sheldon Cottrell responds to Gautam Gambhir's 'KXIP picked him in desperation' comment

Known for his unique on-field salutes, Sheldon Cottrell, over the years has proved that has a lot more to offer than just his wicket-taking celebration. While donning the West Indies jersey in 35 ODIs and 27 T20Is, the left-arm tearaway has scalped 49 and 36 wickets respectively, impressing everyone with his pace and bounce.

Considering his forte in the limited-overs format, Cottrell was snapped up by Kings XI Punjab for a hefty sum of INR 8.50 crore in the IPL 2020 auction. The pacer was picked up by the Punjab franchise following his expeditions in the 2019 World Cup, where he scalped 12 wickets from nine games and emerged as West Indies’ highest wicket-taker.

I am a very lucky man to be a part of KXIP: Sheldon Cottrell

However, a lot of questions were raised over KXIP splashing such a staggering amount on Cottrell. Former India international Gautam Gambhir even said that Anil Kumble picked the Jamaican in desperation.

“I think Anil Kumble picked him up in desperation since they couldn’t get Chris Morris or Pat Cummins. If the demand is high and supply is low, these things happen,” Gambhir had said.

Cottrell, in an Instagram Live with CricTracker, spoke over Gambhir’s comment. He responded by saying that his work speaks for itself and he considers himself lucky to be a part of Kings XI Punjab franchise.

“Did he really say that? I wasn’t aware of the comment by Gambhir. I think my work speaks for itself. I don’t know why he made that comment. I am a very lucky man to be a part of KXIP. I am sure I can be a great addition to any IPL team,” Cottrell told host Adarsh Raman during Instagram Live with CricTracker.

Cottrell emerged as one of the costliest players of IPL 2020 auction and he was expected to play a crucial role for KXIP. However, with the postponement of the tournament, many overseas cricketers including Cottrell are still waiting to ply their trade for their respective franchises.

Despite being marred with injuries, Cottrell has continued to deliver for the Men in Maroon since making his national debut in 2013. Jamaica-born Cottrell last donned the Windies jersey in their Sri Lanka tour, where he registered two scalps in the T20I series and five in the ODI series.