West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd has been added to the Mumbai Indians roster for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) after they finalised a trade deal with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Shepherd, who only played four IPL matches, representing LSG and Sunrisers Hyderabad, was traded to five-time champions Mumbai Indians for his existing fee of US$60 000, and he will be hoping for more playing time to not only justify the move, but more importantly, live up to his tidy reputation.

The 28-year-old is regarded for his pace bowling skills, boasting a repertoire of variations that will enable his captain to call upon him in different match situations. He can also contribute handsomely to the team's batting innings once he gets going.

Shepherd was a part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors side that won the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament for the first time, in September, and he has become an integral member of the West Indies Twenty20 International set-up.

He runs tally currently stands at 301 in 31 matches at an average of 37.62, while his strike rate is 153.57. With the ball, Shepherd has taken 31 wickets at an average of 29.70.

Mumbai Indians finished fourth in this year’s IPL tournament with eight wins in 14 matches. They defeated LSG in the first elimination final but lost to Gujarat Titans in the second elimination final.

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have confirmed that the upcoming IPL auction will take place in Dubai. It will be the first time that the auction is being hosted outside of the country.

Last year, the auction was scheduled to be hosted in Istanbul, Turkey, before a late move to be hosted in the Indian city of Kochi.

Organisers have also extended the deadline for the list of released players from November 15 to November 26.