Birmingham Bears and England all-rounder Chris Woakes has signed his first Indian Premier League (IPL) contract with 2014 and 2012 champions Kolkata Knight Riders.
Twenty-seven-year-old Woakes – who was part of the Bears team that was crowned NatWest T20 Blast champions in 2014 and has won eight International T20 caps for England – was one of four England players sold in the first round of the IPL 2017 auction and was secured in the auction by the Knight Riders at a price of £500,000 after holding off bids from Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Woakes and the Knight Riders begin IPL 2017 on Friday 7 April away to Gujarat Lions, which is closely followed by a visit to the Wankhede Stadium to face the 2015 champions Mumbai Indians on Sunday 9 April. The first home game at the iconic Ed Gardens is against Kings XI Punjab on Thursday 13 April.
Elsewhere in the first round of the IPL draft, Durham Jets all-rounder Ben Stokes sold to Rising Pune Supergiants for a record price for an overseas player of £1.7 million, Sussex Sharks Fast Bowler Tymal Mills signed for Royal Challengers Bangalore for £1.4 million and England skipper and Middlesex batsman Eoin Morgan joined Kings XL Punjab for £240,000.
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