It will be Naib’s first stint in the IPL
Delhi Capitals have signed Afghanistan allrounder Gulbadin Naib as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh for the rest of the IPL season. This will be Naib’s maiden stint in the IPL after he was brought in for his reserve price of INR 50 lakh.
Marsh played four games for DC before he was ruled out of IPL 2024 with a hamstring injury. Marsh had gone back to Perth from India on April 12 to consult CA’s medical staff. Ten days later, the DC head coach Ricky Ponting revealed at an event in Delhi that Marsh was not going to return to India.
Ponting also said there that the T20 World Cup, where Marsh is likely to lead Australia, would not be an issue as Marsh continues his recovery and rehab back home. The World Cup begins on June 1 in the USA and the West Indies.
In the four matches Marsh played, he scored 61 in three innings with a high score of 23 and bowled eight overs for just one wicket with an economy rate of 12.87. This is the second season in a row that DC have lost Marsh’s services midway. A big-ticket signing at INR 6.5 crore, he played only nine games for them in 2023.
DC are currently sixth on the points table with four wins from nine games and their remaining games are against Mumbai Indians (MI), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).