Ishant Sharma suffers back injury in training ahead of DC’s opening game

Delhi Capitals have suffered a major blow ahead of their first game in the 2020 IPL. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma has reportedly injured his back in a training session ahead of the game today, and there is a good chance of him missing out on the first few games.

This would cause the Indian Cricket team a slight concern as well, as Ishant will be one of the frontline fast bowlers for India to tour Australia for a 4-Test match series later this year.

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Ishant had an injury concern earlier this year as well when he was sidelined for a month due to an ankle injury. He recovered and was drafted into the Test squad in New Zealand soon after, and returned to pick up five wickets in the first Test. However, he injured the same ankle in the match.

Delhi could now look to their foreign pace options of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, while they also have Indian pace options in Mohit Sharma, Avesh Khan, and Tushar Deshpande.

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Earlier, Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting had said, “Anrich Nortje has been one of the most impressive fast bowlers since he has arrived and he can ball a variety of deliveries. And with Rabada, Ishant Sharma, and Mohit Sharma and there haven’t been many through the history then closing out death overs than Mohit Sharma, you can also add Kemo Paul to the mix who did a great job for us last year.

“Marcus Stoinis has been used by Australia to bowl in the death overs and Ashwin we are pretty much covered. We cannot play all of them in one game so the makeup becomes very important so that we have enough options during the power play, middle and death overs.”