3 reasons why LSG must play Shamar Joseph in IPL 2024 clash vs DC
West Indies pace sensation Shamar Joseph, who took the cricketing world by storm with an incredible spell at the Gabba in a Test match against Australia, has been forced to warm the bench in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Lucknow Super Giants roped in Joseph as a replacement for Mark Wood who was pulled out of IPL 2024 as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) wanted to manage his workload ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Shamar Joseph was included in one of the earlier games against the Kolkata Knight Riders, where he had a tough introduction to IPL cricket. He overstepped on a couple of occasions in the opening over which unsettled his rhythm as he eventually conceded 47 runs in his four overs.
With the Lucknow Super Giants having their backs to the wall, the team management might be tempted to go back to the fiery pacer who has the ability to trouble any top-class batting line-up.
LSG desperately need to win their remaining two games to qualify for the playoffs and they might tinker with their combination in their upcoming clash against the Delhi Capitals on May 14 (Tuesday).
Let us have a look at three reasons why Shamar Joseph should play against the Delhi Capitals:
# 1. Shamar Joseph is an attacking bowler
What makes Shamar Joseph an exciting prospect is his ability to keep coming at batters at a rapid pace. He displayed his wide range of skills as a bowler during the incredible Test win at the Gabba. While you have to bowl just four overs in T20 cricket, the attacking lengths might just work in his favour.
Joseph keeps challenging opposition batters and has the ability to take wickets, which will be of paramount importance for LSG in their must-win game against the Capitals. He will always try to bowl around the stumps and force batters into playing false shots.
On a belter of a batting surface at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, where most of the bowlers have travelled for plenty, Joseph might be the option which yields LSG early wickets.
# 2. Joseph is an X-factor bowler with top-quality skill sets
Not many West Indian fast bowlers have managed to rattle an Australian batting line-up in the recent past. Joseph looked a class apart in the Gabba Test where he ran through the Australian batting line-up.
With the ability to bounce out batters in their own den with raw pace and the capacity to swing and seam the ball, Joseph is certainly a prospect for the future. While he is still an unknown commodity in the white ball circuit, he has been named in the West Indies squad for the T20 World Cup.
Although the 24-year-old is yet to make his T20I debut, the decision could work wonders for the West Indies. Joseph is certainly one of the X-factor bowlers and with the LSG bowling line-up getting plundered in their last game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, it might be time for the youngster to get an opportunity.
# 3. Joseph can be valuable with the bat in the lower-order
Shamar Joseph is no mug with the bat. Despite coming in at No 11 during the Test series against Australia, he made a significant contribution almost every time. He chipped in with useful contributions and was never afraid to even take on the star-studded Australian bowling attack.
In the first Test, he recorded scores of 36 (41) and 15 (12) and helped reduce the margin of West Indies' defeat.
If required, Joseph can contribute with the bat lower down the order. He is a clean striker of the ball and can add some crucial runs if LSG lose their way in the middle overs.