Delhi Capitals speedster Anrich Nortje may have reached India for the IPL 2022 but will be available for selection only from April 7, stated a report in Cricbuzz. The pacer is set to miss DC’s first two games of the tournament due to an injury.
The nature of the injury is still unknown, but it has been serious enough for the cricketer to have gone missing from the action since the end of South Africa’s campaign at the T20 World Cup in the United Arabic Emirates in November 2021.
Nortje has missed white-ball games against the Netherlands, Test and ODI series versus India, the tour of New Zealand and now the home series against Bangladesh in this timeframe. The pacer is understood to have gone through an extended rehab for the issue, the closing stages of which will be completed in the initial days of the IPL 2022.
It is why the 28-year-old decided to travel to India ahead of the tournament even as a cloud of uncertainty was looming large over his participation. He will miss DC’s first two fixtures – against Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, respectively – but will be seen in the thick of action via their third match on April 7 against new entrants Lucknow Super Giants.
The Capitals retained Nortje in the pre-auction retention and release process for the tournament at INR 6 crores. Interestingly, Nortje won the retention race in the DC set-up to fellow South African pacer and higher-rated Kagiso Rabada, who entered the mega auction and went for INR 9.25 crores to Punjab Kings.
Nortje missed the first half of the IPL 2021 but then dominated with the ball in UAE late last year, taking 12 wickets from his eight games with an economy rate of just 6.16.
The tall pacer used his high-arm release and pace to very good effect on dry, uneven surfaces in the Middle East. He will be hoping to continue in this vein as the league returns to India in a Mumbai-Pune bubble for IPL 2022.
