Ishant out of IPL with rib cage injury, Delhi Capitals may seek replacement

Veteran pacer Ishant Sharma was on Monday ruled out of the Indian Premier League with a rib-cage injury, his team Delhi Capitals said.

Ishant is the second Delhi Capitals player to be ruled out after leg-spinner Amit Mishra, whose campaign ended due to a ring finger fracture sustained during one of the earlier matches.

The 32-year-old Test specialist had featured in only one of the seven games that Delhi Capitals have played so far, finishing his four overs wicketless for 26 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi.

"Fast bowler Ishant Sharma experienced an acute episode of left rib cage pain while bowling at a team training session on October 7, 2020 in Dubai," Delhi Capitals said in a statement.

"Subsequent investigations revealed that he sustained a left internal oblique muscle tear. This injury will unfortunately rule him out of the remainder of the IPL."

Ishant has played 97 Tests, 80 ODIs and 14 T20Is for India. But his participation in the Test series in Australia later this year will now depend on how his rehabilitation programme goes.

While Delhi Capitals is all set to seek a replacement with two senior bowlers ruled out of the remainder of the IPL, Ishant's absence wouldn't hurt them as much as Mishra's, simply because of the wrist spinner's role on the bigger UAE grounds.

Delhi Capitals had tried all their pacers and Harshal Patel seemed to have fit the bill as far as head coach Ricky Ponting is concerned.

In case, Delhi Capitals replace Ishant with a pacer, they have Pradeep Sangwan among net bowlers, who can directly integrate with the team.

DC could also look for a second Indian wicketkeeper in case Rishabh Pant's hamstring injury break takes more than a week.

With Shimron Hetmyer being dropped at the expense of a wicketkeeper Carey, Delhi Capitals can check with Rajasthan Royals if they have any plans to release one of their keeper Anuj Rawat as a part of mid-season transfer.

The Royals already have three keepers playing in their XI -- Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson and Robin Uthappa.