Jai Moondra, the young fast bowler from Rajasthan who tormented India's batting lineup during the recent series in Ireland, has landed a fresh contract. The Rotterdam Dockers franchise picked him up in the Player Draft of the European T20 Premier League, better known as the ETPL.
Draft day brings together six franchises
The ETPL Player Draft took place on July 2, with all six franchises of the league building their squads for the season. A total of 36 players were picked across the draft, with 12 players each coming from Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands, keeping national representation even across the competition.
The India series that made his name
Moondra grabbed attention with his bowling during the recent T20I series against India. He troubled the Indian batting unit throughout the series and dismissed wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson in two separate matches. His performances across the series were strong enough to earn him the Player of the Series award.
Rotterdam Dockers picked him first
Rotterdam Dockers opened their draft by selecting Jai Moondra with their very first pick. The franchise went on to add Netherlands internationals Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Vikramjit Singh and Sakib Zulfiqar, along with Scotland's Jasper Davidson. On the other side of the draft, Belfast Wolves brought in experienced Irish cricketer Paul Stirling along with emerging left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys.
Jonty Rhodes praises the young quick
Jonty Rhodes, co-owner of Rotterdam Dockers and former South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman, spoke highly of Jai Moondra after the draft. He said the way Moondra showcased his talent at the international level against India made the team eager to sign him. Rhodes called him an extremely talented young player with immense potential, adding that the team was delighted to land him in the draft and is confident he will play an important role for the franchise going forward.
Full list of players picked across all six teams
Each franchise picked six players in the draft. Here is the complete list:
- Amsterdam Flames: Curtis Campher, Kyle Klein, Tim Pringle, Aryan Dutt, Jordan Neill and Max O'Dowd
- Irish Wolves: Matthew Humphreys, Fred Klaassen, Tim Tector, Paul Stirling, Zainulla Ehsan and Alexander Roy
- Dublin Guardians: Benjamin Calitz, George Dockrell, Matthew Hallard, Craig Young, Noah Cross and Chris Greaves
- Edinburgh Castle Rockers: Gareth Delany, Ross Adair, Jack Jarvis, Charlie Tear, Safyaan Sharif and Finlay McCreath
- Glasgow Cosmic: Brad Currie, Matthew Cross, Paul van Meekeren, Michael Leask, Oliver Davidson and Chris McBride
- Rotterdam Dockers: Jai Moondra, Michael Levitt, Ryan Klein, Jasper Davidson, Vikramjit Singh and Sakib Zulfiqar
