Wasim Jaffer appointed Kings XI Punjab's batting coach
New Delhi: Former India player Wasim Jaffer has been appointed as the batting coach of Kings XI Punjab for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.
A top source in the franchise confirmed his appointment and Jaffer's name also figured in the official support staff list posted on the team's website.
The Mumbaikar, who now plays for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy, represented India in 31 Tests between 2000 and 2008, scoring 1944 runs which included five hundreds and 11 fifties.
The 41-year-old also has a double hundred to his name -- a highest score of 212 against the West Indies in 2006 at St John's. He also played two ODIs for India during an international career that spanned nearly eight years.
Jaffer remains a domestic stalwart, having played more than 254 first-class matches and scored nearly 20,000 runs. He recently became the first to play in 150 Ranji Trophy games and needs just 853 runs to complete 20,000 runs.
In the IPL's inaugural season in 2008, Jaffer represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in six matches but could only manage 130 runs at a strike rate of 110.57.
Besides Kumble and Jaffer, KXIP's revamped coaching staff includes Sunil Joshi as bowling coach and Jonty Rhodes as fielding coach, respectively.
Kumble, under whose captaincy Jaffer turned out for India, played a role in the former Mumbai opener's appointment.
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Nine Naxalites carrying cumulative bounty of Rs 43 lakh surrender in Chhattisgarh
Sukma, Jan 11: Nine hardcore Naxalites, allegedly involved in attacks on security forces and carrying a cumulative bounty of Rs 43 lakh, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Saturday, police said.
The cadres, including two women, turned themselves in before senior officials from the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) here, citing disappointment with "hollow" and "inhuman" Maoist ideology and infighting within the outlawed outfit, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said.
He said the surrendered Naxalites were also impressed by the state government's 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme, which aims at facilitating development works in remote villages and stated that senior cadres were on backfoot with the increasing pressure of security forces and setting up of police camps in interior areas.
The official said Ransai alias Oyam Buska (34), the commander of platoon no 24 of Maoists, and Pradip alias Ravva Rakesh (20), a member under a company wing of PLGA battalion no. 1, were carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each.
He said four other cadres carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh, a woman Naxalite carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh, and two others, including a woman, carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each.
Chavan said Ransai was allegedly involved in attacks, including the Jhara Ghati ambush in Narayanpur district in 2007, wherein seven policemen were killed; the 2007 Ranibodli (Bijapur district) attack, in which 55 security personnel died; the 2017 ambush in Burkapal (Sukma), where 25 CRPF personnel were killed and the 2020 Minpa ambush (Sukma) that killed 17 security personnel.
The other surrendered cadres were also involved in multiple attacks on security forces, he said.
Personnel from Konta police station, District Reserve Guard (DRG), Intelligence Branch Team and 2nd and 223rd battalions played a crucial role in their surrender, he said.
The official said the surrendered Naxalites were provided Rs 25,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy.
Last year, 792 Naxalites had surrendered in the Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Sukma.
