Explosive West Indian batsman Chris Gayle will be playing for a new franchise in the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League after his services were secured late in the third round of the IPL Auction by the Kings XI Punjab.

The left-hander, whose services were not retained the Royal Challengers Bangalore with whom he spent the last six seasons, went for his base price of US $312, 000 dollars.

He now becomes one of five overseas players on the squad that includes the likes of David Miller, Aaron Finch and Yuvraj Singh.

Windies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite, meanwhile, was snapped up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for US $312, 000 while Dwayne Bravo was sold to his former team Chennai Super Kings for a cost of US $1,000,000.

Kieron Pollard returns to the Mumbai Indians for US $843, 000 and is joined in Mumbai by Evin Lewis who was acquired by the franchise for US $593, 000.

Sheldon Cottrell, Rovman Powell, Lendl Simmons, Samuel Badree, and Jason holder were among a group of 9 West Indian players who went unsold.

High-profile names who went unsold includes the likes of Dale Steyn, Hashim Amla, Lasith Malinga and Shaun Marsh.

The new IPL season bowls off on April 7.