Vinay Kumar, Manish Pandey and Stuart Binny among the retained players in the KPL

The seventh edition of the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) is scheduled to take place from August 15, 2018. The matches will be hosted by the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the SDNR Wadiyar Cricket Stadium in Mysuru and the KSCA Rajnagar Stadium in Hubbali. The KSCA is keen to have outstation players in the event and is awaiting the approval of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The last edition was won by the Belagavi Panthers as they beat the Bijapur Bulls by six wickets in the Grand Finale at Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Cricket Ground in Hubli. A total of seven teams participated in the last season. Meanwhile, ahead of the next edition’s auction on Saturday, a number of prominent names have been retained by their respective sides.

The retentions and rejections

The likes of Vinay Kumar, Manish Pandey, and Stuart Binny were retained by Hubli Tigers and Belagavi Panthers respectively. Vinay was impressive with both bat and ball. He scored 143 runs in seven matches at an average of 23.83 with a highest score of 41. With the leather, he picked up six wickets at a jaw-dropping economy of 5.88, which is considered incredible in the shortest format.

Pandey played only a couple of matches for the Panthers and scored 49 runs at a strike-rate of 168.96. On the other hand, Binny was one of their gun all-rounders who carved their victory in the championship. He scored 241 runs in eight matches at a stupendous average of 60.25 to go with three half-centuries. Binny was up to the mark with the leather as well, having picked up eight wickets.

There were a few surprises as well. The likes of Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Krishnappa Gowtham and Shreyas Gopal weren’t retained by their franchises. A KPL squad has to have a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 18 players. Moreover, a couple of players should be from their respective catchment areas.

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