The second leg of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is set to resume from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with reigning champions Mumbai Indians (MI) taking on three-time winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Ahead of the remainder of the fourteenth season of cash-rich league, many franchises have started picking players as replacements for those who will miss the second phase of IPL 2021. Following the trend, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have revealed the replacement of Australian quick Jhye Richardson, who will not be available for the remaining fixtures.
PBKS have roped in the quality leg-spinner Adil Rashid in place of Richardson. The England spinner will join the KL Rahul-led side on September 8 in Dubai and will be available for the full second leg of the competition.
“The one who will surely brighten up your feed – Adil Rashid (Medium star emoji) We know we have chosen the right one to bowl the wrong ones (Winking face emoji) #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #IPL2021” tweeted Punjab Kings.
The one who will surely brighten up your feed – Adil Rashid ⭐️
We know we have chosen the right one to bowl the wrong ones 🕸😉#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #IPL2021 pic.twitter.com/F5f0vfgr5l
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) August 26, 2021
Rashid, who had a base price of INR 1.5 crore, went unsold in the auction held earlier this year. The leggie has so far played 62 T20 Internationals (T20Is) for England, in which he has picked up 65 wickets at an average of 24.29.
Currently, Rashid is ranked fourth in the ICC rankings for T20I bowlers. He is behind South Africa’s Tabraiz Shamsi, who was recently signed with the Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sri Lanka star Wanindu Hasaranga, now a Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) player, and Afghanistan stalwart Rashid Khan, who has been a valuable asset for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the lucrative league.
Earlier, the Mohali-based franchise had announced the signing of Australian speedster Nathan Ellis, who replaced Riley Meredith. Ellis was recently in the headlines for bagging a hat-trick on his T20I debut against Bangladesh.
The Kings will land in Dubai on August 29 and are expected to undergo the mandatory six-day hotel quarantine before beginning their training. They are placed in the sixth spot in the points table after winning three out of eight matches.
