IPL 2018: D'Arcy Short's arrival delayed due to passport issues

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D'Arcy Short was the leading run-scorer in the BBL

What's the story?

BBL star D'Arcy Short's departure to join his team, the Rajasthan Royals, for the upcoming IPL season has been delayed. Although Royals seem confident, Short's close aides feel he might not be able to join the team before the league commences.

"Instead of sending the passport by air freight, it was sent by road freight. That led to the delay and he could not be in India on time," the close aide told Sportstar.

In case you didn't know...

Short is an Australian batsman signed by Rajasthan Royals for 4 cr. He was the leading run-scorer in the Big Bash League, amassing 504 runs in 10 games. The 27-year-old has played 25 T20s including 5 T20Is and averages 42, with a strike rate over 150.

The heart of the matter

Due to a delay in receiving his new passport, the star batsman has been unable to join the Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. He is believed to have lost his passport, but has applied for a new one.

The player, meanwhile, insisted that the 'passport was not sent right away'. While the Rajasthan Royals' management have been scratching their heads trying to figure out a way to get the batsman in before the start of the league, sources close to the southpaw suggest that a fresh passport is unlikely to arrive before the 7th of April.

What's next?

The Indian players part of the Rajasthan Royals have already reached Jaipur to begin their practice sessions while the foreign recruits are slowly joining the base. The injured Jofra Archer has recovered and will be joining the team in a couple of days. Shane Warne, Royals' coach, who will arrive on the 5th of April, is expected to give motivational talks to the boys and keep a track of the entire process.

Author's take

The absence of Short will be a bit of a worry for the Royals. However, with the presence of foreign stars like Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes along with the domestic talents of Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Shreyas Gopal and Stuart Binny, the team should be able to cope with Short's delay.

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