BENGALURU, India (CMC) — Exiled West Indies batsman Darren Bravo is on his way to the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) after landing a contract with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the auction held here yesterday.

The 28-year-old left-hander, locked in an impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) after being controversially sent home ahead of the West Indies campaign in the Tri-Nations Series against Sri Lanka and hosts Zimbabwe last November, was picked up in the third round by KKR for US$74,000 — the same base price at which he entered the draft.

KKR are owned by the same interests who recently purchased Trinbago Knight Riders, the Port of Spain-based Caribbean Premier League franchise for whom Bravo currently campaigns.

Bravo was joined by rising West Indies star Rovman Powell who was also snapped up by KKR for US$44,000, and fellow Trinidadian Nicholas Pooran, who signed with Mumbai Indians for $44,000.

Discarded two-time Twenty20 (T20) World Cup-winning Captain Darren Sammy will make a return to the IPL after missing out last season, and will turn out for Kings XI Punjab on a contract worth US$44,000.

The quartet were the only new players from the Caribbean to secure contracts in the IPL, the most popular T20 tournament on the international schedule.

Bravo, like Powell and Pooran, will be getting his first taste of the IPL, and it comes following his ill-advised Twitter outburst aimed at WICB president, Dave Cameron ,which resulted in his axing from the West Indies One-day team.

After Bravo was offered and subsequently turned down a Grade C retainer contract, Cameron told regional television sports network

SportsMax that the Trinidadian had no longer merited a Grade A contract because of his declining form.

An obviously upset Bravo then Tweeted: “You hav been failing 4 d last 4yrs. Y don’t u resign and FYI I’ve neva been given an A contract. Big idiot.”

The WICB said the Tweet had “disparaged” Cameron and was a breach of the player’s contractual obligations, and promptly cancelled his match/tour contract.

He did not feature for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the just-concluded Regional Super50 and according to WICB rules, will be ineligible for selection for the Windies One-day side.

Bravo has made 3400 runs in 49 Tests at an average of 40, while scoring 2595 runs from 94 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) at an average of 32.

Like Bravo, Pooran takes up his IPL contract amidst controversy at home. He was slapped with a suspension by the WICB after belatedly opting out of his Professional Cricket League contract in favour of playing in the Bangladesh Premier League last year.

The attacking 21-year-old left-hander has played three Twenty20 Internationals for West Indies but the suspension has left his career up in the air.

He joins the experienced Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons already on the books at Mumbai.

Powell’s selection comes as no surprise as his big-hitting ability, coupled with his all-round talents, had already caught the attention of those in the international arena.

He has played only four ODIs in a fledgling career, but his exploits in the West Indies domestic league — including an astonishing 95 for his native Jamaica Scorpions in the semi-final of the Regional Super50 last week — was testament to his powers.

Powell, 23, will play alongside Bravo and off-spinner Sunil Narine, who is a KKR retained player.

The auction also saw Barbadian-born England all-rounder Chris Jordan picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad for US$74 000.

West Indies Test and One-day Captain Jason Holder, along with Andre Fletcher, Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Evin Lewis and Shane Dowrich all went unpurchased.