South African pacer Anrich Nortje is all set to make himself available for the Delhi Capitals for IPL 2022 from early April, clearing the doubt regarding his participation in the tournament this season.
According to a franchise official, Nortje will play in the IPL 2022 starting with the team’s third game, on April 7, when the Capitals face the Lucknow Super Giants at DY Patil Stadium. Nortje has already arrived in Mumbai on Monday and is currently undergoing his stipulated quarantine period.
Nortje, one of the most successful pacers for the Delhi squad in recent years, was retained by the franchise for INR 6.5 crore, and he was preferred over the more experienced Kagiso Rabada. However, Nortje’s ailment, the nature of which Cricket South Africa has not disclosed, has kept him out of international competition till November 2021.
The pacer has been missing out on a lot of action in the international circuit. This winter, Nortje was not selected for either of South Africa’s home international series. South Africa is presently playing a white ball series against Bangladesh, which will be followed by a two-Test series. The CSA, on the other hand, has given its IPL recruits the freedom to select the cash-rich league before the Test series against Bangladesh.
Nortje expressed his thanks to the franchise and his eagerness to rejoin the team after being retained by DC. “It’s been an unbelievable journey for me with Delhi so far, and I’ve learnt so much from everyone around the squad. The overall environment has been superb the last two seasons, and I can’t wait to join the team again,” he said.
Meanwhile, wicketkeeper-batsman and Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant has lauded head coach Ricky Ponting’s coaching style, adding that meeting him feels like meeting a family member.
“It’s always special meeting Ricky Ponting. Whenever I meet him, it feels like I am meeting a family member. And he always brings the energy out of every player on the field. Everyone looks up to him and waits for him to say something different,” said Pant.
Delhi Capitals will kick off its IPL 15 campaign on March 27 against Mumbai Indians at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium.
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