(UTV | INDIA) – Anrich Nortje, the South African pacer whose availability for the Indian Premier League this season has been much debated, will be ready to play for the Delhi Capitals team from early April.
A franchise official has told that Nortje will be taking part in the IPL 15 from the team’s third game, more precisely from April 7, when the Capitals take on Lucknow Super Giants at DY Patil Stadium. Nortje has already reached Mumbai and has been in quarantine for the last couple of days.
Nortje, one of the most successful pacers for the Delhi team in recent times, was retained by the franchise for INR 6.5 crore and the preference for him was even over accomplished Kagiso Rabada. However, Nortje’s injury, the nature of which has not exactly been made public by Cricket South Africa, has been out of international action since November 2021.
The pacer was not included in any of South Africa’s home international series this winter. South Africa is currently engaged in a white ball series against Bangladesh following which the teams will be involved in a two-Test series. However, the CSA has given liberty for its IPL recruits to choose the cash-rich league ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, there has been some confusion over Lucknow Super Giants’ pick as a replacement for Mark Wood, who has pulled out of the IPL due to an injury. Some reports have suggested that Blessington Muzarabani (25) has been chosen in place of the English pacer.
The word got spread after the Indian High Commission in Harare posted a picture of the High Commissioner presenting the pacer the Indian travel documents and wrote: “Ambassador met with Mr Blessing Muzarabani, the Zimbabwean bowler, as he prepared to leave for #IPL2022. Ambassador wished him & his team #LucknowSuperGiants the very best.”
The Lucknow officials, claiming confidentiality contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, refused to comment on the matter but sources have told this website that the Zimbabwean will be joining the team only as a net bowler. A team official has also said they have closed the replacement and an announcement will come soon.