Dubai: English batsman Jason Roy’s loss is Daniel Sams’ gain as the Australian quick will make his IPL debut for Delhi Capitals in a move that will significantly add more bite to the team’s bowling department.
Roy has informed the Delhi franchise that he will not be available for the 2020 edition of the tournament to be played in the UAE, after sustaining a left side strain while training for England’s upcoming Twenty20 series against Pakistan.
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Having to find a quick replacement, the Capital pounced on Sams, one of the stars of the Australia’s Big Bash League where he netted a record 30 wickets for the Thunder. About fifty per cent of those wickets came in the final five overs, making Sams a very potent weapon in the ‘death overs’.
His appointment will boost the Delhi’s teams attack significantly who have been lacking a left-arm fast bowler after trading New Zealand’s Trent Boult to Mumbai Indians following the last IPL.
“The IPL is a huge platform for any cricketer, and back home, we all follow the tournament extremely closely every year,” Sams told the Delhi Capitals website.
“I feel fortunate to be a part of it this year, and I’m thankful to the Delhi Capitals management for giving me this opportunity. I can’t wait to join the rest of the players in the UAE.”
Although the Capitals’ training camp will start in Dubai from Saturday August 29, following the quarantine period, Sams will not join the squad until September 17, just two days before the IPL starts.
All the Australia and England players are expected to join their respective IPL franchises in the UAE on September 17 after the series in the UK which comprises three T20s and three ODIs between September 4 and September 16.
Both the Australian and England players are expected to skip the mandatory six-day quarantine period in the UAE as long as they have cleared the stringent testing process prior to making the trip to the UAE.
Meanwhile, the new-look Capitals squad led by Dinesh Karthik are expected to take to the nets on Saturday as they prepare to shake off their reputation as one of the poorest-performing teams in the IPL with only qualifications for the play-offs to boast about.
This year could be a turning point for the team who have a top order packed with talented Indian batsmen — Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant and captain Shreyas Iyer.
Each one of them have delivered at least one match-winning innings in 2019, which looks a good omen.
Add to that the Capitals have another top-order specialist in Ajinkya Rahane, who had been traded from Rajasthan Royals where he was the captain.
