Bangladesh famed all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan once again will be seen in action playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.
This is for the fourth year that the World No 1 all-rounder in ODI and T20 cricket will play for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The ninth edition of money spinning IPL will be held from April 9 after the end of ICC World Cup Twenty20.
The window for the franchisees to retain and release players for the IPL 2016 season was closed on Thursday.
KKR retained 19 players and released 10 players. Shakib will again find Gautam Gambhir, Manish Pandey, Robin Uthappa, Umesh Yadav,  Yusuf Pathan, Andre Russell, Brad Hogg,  Morne Morkel, and Sunil Naraine as his teammates.
On the other hand  Ryan ten Doeschate,  Pat Cummins,  Azhar Mahmud, James Neesham, and Johan Botha were released. Another IANS report adds:  Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn are among the big names were released by their Indian Premier League franchisees ahead of the 2016 season.
Yuvraj, who was bought by Delhi Daredevils for a whooping Rs.16 crore, has been released ahead of the upcoming IPL 9 edition. Yuvraj, 34, who played 14 games in the 2015 edition scored just 248 runs at an average of 19, the highest being 57.
Kings XI Punjab released retired India swashbuckling batsman Sehwag. The former Daredevils batsman scored just 99 runs in eight outings in IPL 8.
Star seamer Ishant Sharma, after a sloppy performance in the previous edition where he picked up just one wicket in four matches, was released by his franchisee Sunrisers Hyderabad.