Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Punjab Kings have roped in veteran leg-spinner Adil Rashid for the remainder of IPL 2021. Rashid joins the Punjab side as a replacement for Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson, who has decided to skip the UAE leg of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Rashid, who signed up for the IPL 2021 auction for a base price of Rs 1.5 crore, went unsold during the February auction. The English spinner was in a rollercoaster form in the recently concluded The Hundred competition. Adil Rashid, who represented Northern Superchargers, picked up 12 wickets from seven games with the best figure of 3/12.
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
Jhye Richardson, who was the fourth most expensive player sold at the IPL 2021 auction going for INR 14 crore, had a pretty average time in India in April-May. The Aussie speedster played only three matches and picked as many wickets at an economy rate of 10.63.
Punjab Kings placed sixth in the points table
Punjab Kings are currently placed sixth in the points table with six points from eight games before the tournament was postponed on May 4. They struggled for consistency which hurt them badly in the initial phase of IPL 2021.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings have also roped in young Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis in place of Riley Meredith, who has also decided to skip the remainder of IPL 2021. Ellis, who became the first male player to secure a T20 hat-trick on his debut against Bangladesh this month, was named on Thursday as one of Australia’s three reserve players for the T20 World Cup, which begins in October.
Nathan ᴇʟʟ-ɪs a 👑
He’s the newest addition to #SaddaSquad for the second phase of #IPL2021! 😍#SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/0hMuOJ19NU
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) August 20, 2021
Incidentally, the fast bowler went unsold in the auction earlier this year. The KL Rahul-led side will begin their second-phase campaign against Rajasthan Royals on September 21 in Dubai.