3 players who could replace Shreyas Iyer at Delhi Capitals
Shreyas Iyer, the Delhi Capitals captain, suffered an injury while fielding in the first ODI against England in Pune. While attempting to save a boundary, he dived full stretch, which led to a partial dislocation of his shoulder.
The right-hander has been ruled out of the rest of the series and is all likely to miss the IPL as well, as surgery would sideline him for at least four months.
If that happens, it would be a huge blow for Delhi Capitals, as Iyer is a key player for the franchise. He was their second-highest run-getter (fourth overall) in IPL 2020, scoring 519 runs.
Three players who could replace Shreyas Iyer at Delhi Capitals in IPL 2021:
While Delhi Capitals have a plethora of captaincy options at their disposal, they will certainly miss the batting prowess of Shreyas Iyer in IPL 2021.
On that note, let's have a look at three players who could replace Shreyas Iyer at the Delhi Capitals.
#1 Siddhesh Lad
Siddhesh Lad has been a part of IPL since 2015 but featured in only one game in five seasons for Mumbai Indians.
He was traded to Kolkata Knight Riders before the IPL 2020 auctions. But he had to warm the bench there, too, as he was low in the pecking order.
Siddhesh Lad hasn't been in good form recently, as he mustered only 27 runs in four innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. But on numerous occasions, he has proven his worth in difficult situations and is often hailed as a ‘crisis man’ in Mumbai cricketing circles.
Thus, he could fill in for his statemate Shreyas Iyer at Delhi Capitals. Moreover, he would also have Pravin Amre- with whom he has closely worked as a youngster- as an assistant coach at the Delhi Capitals.
#2 Himmat Singh
Himmat Singh, the Delhi batsman, was very impressive in both the domestic limited-overs tournaments this season.
He amassed 171 runs at an average of 57 and a great strike rate of 148.67 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, his numbers were even better, as he scored 293 runs at an average of 58.6.
Singh notched up two centuries against Rajasthan and eventual champions Mumbai. Both the tons came in very different circumstances.
Against Rajasthan, where Delhi needed to go for a quick win to boost their NRR, he forged an unbeaten 183-run partnership with Nitish Rana in a chase of 295. Against Mumbai, he resurrected his team from a precarious 32/6 to a respectable 211/7.
The right-hander averages 46.5 in List A cricket and could be a good backup option for Shreyas Iyer at the Delhi Capitals.
#3 Gurkeerat Singh Mann
Gurkeerat Singh Mann was a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2020. But the Punjab all-rounder could not impress and was released before the auctions. He went unsold in the subsequent IPL auctions too.
Nevertheless, he could be a good finisher for the Delhi Capitals if they push their regular batsmen up the order in Shreyas Iyer’ absence. He is also a top-class fielder and could chip in with a few overs of off-spin as well.
Further, Gurkeerat Singh has been in good form recently, scoring 221 runs at an average of 55.25 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He also had a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, where he mustered 134 runs in five innings at a decent strike rate of 134.