Rising pace bowler Jaydev Unadkat joined Ben Stokes in the Rajasthan Royals for $1.8 million on Sunday but a host of foreign stars went unsold in the Indian Premier League auction. The Royals made Unadkat the second most expensive player in the auction behind England's Stokes who they bought for $1.96 million on the opening day. Stokes - still facing an assault criminal case in England - and Unadkat will join Australian captain Steve Smith at the Royals as they return to the lucrative T20 league after a two-year illegal gambling ban.

The Royals were inaugural IPL champions in 2008 but were barred for two seasons with Chennai Super Kings in 2015 over an illegal gambling scandal. The team also spent almost $1 million for uncapped Indian off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham but were on top of the world after getting Stokes. Royals executive chairman Ranjit Borthakur shrugged off any doubts about Stokes' legal troubles preventing him from playing in India.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2018