IPL 2020 | Amit Mishra might replace Ravi Ashwin against CSK, hints Mohammad Kaif
Mishra might take Ashwin's place versus CSK
|Delhi Capitals assistant coach Mohammad Kaif has revealed that the club are yet to take a call on the participation of Ravi Ashwin for the CSK game, but hinted that veteran Amit Mishra might take the place of the off-spinner. Ashwin had earlier hurt his shoulder in DC’s first game versus Punjab.
After astonishingly claiming two wickets off his first five balls for the franchise, Delhi Capitals debutant Ravichandran Ashwin’s first night out for his new franchise came to an abrupt end on the final delivery of his first over against Kings XI Punjab, where he considerably hurt his left shoulder after attempting a dive. The injury looked like a serious one, and many feared that it might signal the end of Ashwin’s IPL 2020 campaign, but scans, thankfully, later revealed that the damage the off-spinner sustained was minimal.Â
However, despite Ashwin making considerable progress in terms of his recovery, according to DC assistant coach Mohammad Kaif, there might be a chance that the 34-year-old might sit out the club’s second game of the season against CSK on Friday. Should Ashwin be ruled not fit to play, Kaif revealed, the Delhi-based franchise might resort to the services of veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who played 11 games for the Capitals last season.
“Ashwin is going for practice today and we haven’t taken a call yet if he is going to be available or not for tomorrow’s game. We will see how the practice goes. We are monitoring him very closely. But yes, if he is not fit to play tomorrow, we have Amit Mishra who is very experienced player. He has been doing well in IPL. So yes that’s a plus point in this squad that we have got a replacement ready,” Mohammed Kaif, DC Capitals assistant coach, said in a video conference on Thursday, reported Hindustan Times.
The hot and humid conditions of UAE have already posed a humongous challenge for the players, who have considerably struggled to cope with the combination of the intensity of the tournament and the demanding weather conditions. Kaif, one of the fittest players during his playing days, reckons that this season might oversee a lot of soft-tissue injuries. The 39-year-old also noted that the intensity in training could never match the actual intensity of the action on the field.
“Soft tissue injuries will take place a lot because after long lay-off players are coming back. They are trying to give their best shot on the sand-based grounds which is not easy. We are not used to it. Body is not used to it. It is totally different. It’s a big ground (Dubai and Abu Dhabi) so there’s lot of running involved which probably don’t match in training session.
“Training is about batting, bowling, bit of fielding. But intensity is not that much as match day, so that’s why I feel it is going to be a tough one on the players this season,” Kaif said.
After overcoming the Kings XI Punjab threat in their first game through a Super Over, the Delhi Capitals will take on IPL 2019 finalists Chennai Super Kings in their second game of the season in Dubai on Friday. Â
