Dan Lawrence set to play in the ILT20 2024 during England's break in Abu Dhabi - Reports
England batter Dan Lawrence will represent the Desert Vipers in the latter stages of the ongoing International League T20 (ILT20) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The English team are currently stationed in Abu Dhabi for a break ahead of the third Test against India in Rajkot, scheduled to begin on February 15.
Lawrence was roped in as a replacement player after Harry Brook pulled out of the Test series due to personal reasons. The former is yet to play in the series, with Jonny Bairstow playing as a pure batter and Ben Foakes handling the wicketkeeping duties.
England, including Lawrence, departed for Abu Dhabi following the culmination of the second Test in Vishakapatnam, where they lost by 106 runs. There is a 10-day gap in place between the second and third match of the five-match series, which is well-poised at 1-1 currently.
According to a report by the Telegraph, with the ILT20 2024 heading towards the final stages of its league phase, the right-handed batter will be available for selection for the Desert Vipers in their final two matches against the Dubai Capitals and the Sharjah Warriors on February 9 and 11, respectively.
The Vipers are currently placed fourth in the points table and their progress into the playoffs relies on their performance in the final set of league-stage matches. The team had finished in second place during the inaugural edition in 2023, losing to the Gulf Giants in the final.
Dan Lawrence played one match for the Desert Vipers in the ILT20 2024
Dan Lawrence was with the Desert Vipers team before he was called up by the national team as a late replacement for the departing Harry Brook. He played in the Vipers' first league-stage match of the 2024 edition against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on January 21.
Lawrence scored 19 runs off 17 deliveries while batting at No. 3, and also chipped in with a wicket as the Vipers ended up losing the contest by six wickets.
It is to be noted that although the England squad comprises several players who are contracted with ILT20 franchises (Joe Root, Mark Wood, Rehan Ahmed, and Zak Crawley), only Lawrence has been cleared to participate in the league during the break ahead of the third Test against India.