Gayle joins RCB camp

Nannes, who sustained a side strain during the match against Mumbai Indians here, will be out of action for a minimum of five weeks by which time season four of the Indian Premier League will have reached its business end.

There could have been a technical glitch in getting Gayle, who went unsold at the January auction, as his reserve price-tag of $400,000 was above Nannes’ $200,000 and as a rule only a player, whose base price is equal or less than that of the Australian, could have replaced him. But since Nannes eventually was bought for $6,50,000 (way above Gayle’s base price) by RCB, roping in the Windies’ left-hander became easier for the Bangalore side.

While there is no word out yet on opener Tillakaratne Dilshan’s availability following Sri Lanka Cricket’s diktat to all its players involved in IPL to return to the country and report for a camp by May 5, the presence of Gayle may just off-set the newly-appointed Lankan captain’s exit, sooner or later.