IPL 2018 | Delhi Daredevils rope in Liam Plunkett to replace injured Kagiso Rabada

04/07/2018

Delhi Daredevils have brought in English pacer Liam Plunkett as a replacement for star SA speedster Kagiso Rabada, who pulled out of the tournament due to a back injury. Plunkett, who went unsold at the mega auction earlier this year, will make his first appearance in the Indian Premier League.

Rabada was advised to take three months of complete rest due to a lower-back stress reaction and was subsequently told not to play in the IPL 2018. He had first complained of tightness and discomfort during the fourth and final Test in Johannesburg, and bowled only eight overs in Australia's second innings, when the injury turned out to be serious.

Rabada’s injury left the Delhi-based franchise in a quandary and they were waiting for an able replacement for the speedster. Now, their search ended with the signing of Plunkett, who has recently established himself as a regular in the England limited-overs setup. Now, the Yorkshire bowler will join the likes of Trent Boult, Mohammad Shami, and Chris Morris apart from the uncapped Indian seamers.

Plunkett has a wealth of T20 experience in him, having played 119 T20 matches in his career so far, where he has taken 110 wickets. The 33-year-old has so far represented England in 93 matches across all formats. The pacer, who became the 12th England player in the league this year, had a base price of INR 2 crore at the 2018 player auction in January, but he couldn’t inspire even a single bid.

The franchise will get their campaign underway by playing against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday (April 8) in Mohali.