Bravo

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

TRINIDAD AND Tobago and West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has become the latest player to sign up for the rich Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL).

He left yesterday to take up a contract with the Mumbai Indians.

Bravo will join three other West Indies players participating in the league - Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul - who secured contracts when teams made big-money bids in mid-February for the best players in the world.

While Gayle was drafted by the Kolkata Knight Riders for US$800,000, Kings XI Punjab paid US$225,000 for Sarwan and Bangalore Royal Challengers signed Shivnarine Chanderpaul for US$200,000, the value of Bravo's contract was not disclosed.

Because of his stint in the IPL, Bravo will miss the Carib Challenge Shield final against Jamaica starting next Thursday at Sabina Park.

Bravo will only be available for a few weeks in the IPL since he is committed to representing the West Indies against Australia in the Caribbean next month, but Mumbai Indians officials are satisfied that they will have a significant input from the athletic 24-year-old.

"We know he will be returning (to the Caribbean) on May 15, but by then we would have played most of our games," they told the Cricinfo website.

Top players

Among the top players in the Mumbai Indians' squad are India's world batting star Sachin Tendulkar, former Sri Lanka opener Sanath Jayasuriya, Indian offspinner Harbhajan Singh, former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock and Sri Lanka's fiery fast bowler Lasith Malinga.

Bravo, who plays locally for Queen's Park Cricket Club, has appeared in 28 Test matches and scored 1,645 runs, including a highest score of 112. He has taken 60 Test wickets at an average of 40, with best figures of six for 55.

In one-day internationals, Bravo has played 83 matches and scored 1,204 runs, with a top score of 112. He has 93 ODI wickets with a best return of four for 32.