The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is all ready to host the 13th edition of cricket’s biggest carnival, the Indian Premier League (IPL). The mega T20 event will kick-off from September 19 and run till November 8.
Meanwhile, fans of the Delhi Capitals (DC) are excited to see their favourite team shining in the upcoming season of the lucrative league. Even, in the last season, DC did impress many with their superior performance. And that’s the reason why the Delhi-based franchise is one of the favourites to lift the IPL trophy in 2020.
However, ahead of the cash-rich league, DC has been hit with some bad luck as three of its premier fast bowlers namely Ishant Sharma, and Kagiso Rabada will not feature in the first half of the tournament. The duo may join the team later.
But the news which has disturbed the supporters of DC is that English all-rounder Chris Woakes will not be a part of IPL 2020. The Birmingham-born has confirmed that he will not feature in the upcoming tournament.
Delhi Capitals had earlier bought Woakes for INR 1.5 Crores. However, a sigh of relief for the franchise fans is that DC has now announced the replacement for Woakes, in the form of South African speedster Anrich Nortje.
“DC fans (since forever): “Replacement kaun hai?” You have your answer now, Dilliwalon. We are delighted to announce the signing of Flag of South Africa pacer @AnrichNortje02 for the upcoming #IPL season,” tweeted the official handle of DC.
DC fans (since forever): "Replacement kaun hai?" 🤷🏻♂️
You have your answer now, Dilliwalon 😏
We are delighted to announce the signing of 🇿🇦 pacer @AnrichNortje02 for the upcoming #IPL season 😎
Full details ➡️ https://t.co/JG0lFUGmfp#WelcomeAnrich#IPL2020 #YehHaiNayiDilli pic.twitter.com/ONYsNTMDCZ
— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) August 18, 2020
Nortje had been signed up by two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the 2019 edition, but a shoulder injury ruled him out. Then, he suffered from a thumb injury and it forced the pacer to miss the 2019 World Cup.
So far, Nortje has played 22 T20 matches in which he picked 27 wickets at an economy of 7.54 including two 4-wicket hauls.
“I am excited to join the Delhi Capitals, a team that was the talk of the tournament last season. With its exciting mix of experienced and young players and a stellar coaching line up, there is no doubt this is going to be a massive learning experience for me. I am grateful to the Delhi Capitals management for giving me this opportunity,” said Nortje as quoted by the official website of DC.
