Sunrisers Hyderabad have signed 21-year-old Jammu and Kashmir medium pacer Umran Malik as a "short-term Covid-19 replacement" for T Natarajan, who was to be kept in isolation after testing positive for the virus before the start of the tournament. Team's game against Delhi Capitals on 22nd September. Malik has been a net bowler with the Sunrisers team in the United Arab Emirates.
Malik has played just one T20I and one List A match in the Indian domestic circuit since making his debut for the state team earlier this year. The T20 game was against Railways in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he took 3 for 24 in his four overs in a seven-wicket loss for his team, while his List A appearance was in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Bengal, where He conceded 98 runs for a wicket in his ten overs as J&K conceded 368 runs and lost by 82 runs.
Under IPL guidelines, franchises are allowed to sign short-term replacement players during the absence of a regular team member, so Malik will "only be part of the Sunrisers squad until Natarajan recovers and is not allowed to join the squad". Granted", an IPL statement confirmed.
Earlier this year, during the first leg of the IPL when it was played in India, bowling all-rounder Shams Mulani became a short-term recruit for Delhi Capitals in similar circumstances after Axar Patel tested positive for Covid-19. had tested positive.
Natarajan went into isolation along with six other members of the Sunrisers squad - including all-rounder Vijay Shankar and net bowler G Periyaswamy - who were identified as his close contacts on September 22. However, the game between Sunrisers and Capitals was allowed to go ahead. the schedule.
All participants in the IPL were required to quarantine for six days upon arrival in the UAE, and undergo tests every two days in the first week and every fifth day from the second week onwards. As per the IPL guidelines, anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 will have to isolate for at least ten days. They can then rejoin the team bubble after passing two Tests on days nine and ten.
This is the second time during the two-part IPL 2021 when a Sunrisers player has tested positive for COVID-19. In May, wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha had to isolate for two weeks in Delhi after he returned testing positive.