Indian Premier League side Delhi Capitals have signed Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams to replace England's Jason Roy for the T20 tournament starting next month in the UAE.
England opener Roy was on Thursday ruled out of England's T20 series against Pakistan after sustaining a side strain, though Delhi said he had opted out of traveling to the Emirates for the IPL "for personal reasons".
Sams, 27, is a rising star of the Australia limited-overs sides and will join compatriots Marcus Stoinis and Alex Carey at the Delhi Capitals, coached by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
"The IPL is a huge platform for any cricketer, and back home, we all follow the tournament extremely closely every year," said Sams.
"I feel fortunate to be a part of it this year ... I can't wait to join the rest of the players in the UAE."
We're 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 already⚡💙 https://t.co/D06rJsf8As
— Delhi Capitals (Stay Home. Wear Double Masks😷) (@DelhiCapitals) August 28, 2020
South Africa-born opener Roy suffered the injury this week during England's preparations in Manchester where the Pakistan series starts later Friday.
Ahead of the IPL start on September 19, all eight teams have arrived in the UAE where they are required to undergo a period of quarantine in their hotels.
The IPL, originally scheduled to start in March, has been moved from India because of the rapid spread of the coronavirus across the country, the third worst-hit in the world behind the US and Brazil.
