Ranji Trophy 2022: Ishant Sharma likely to join Delhi squad after a change of mind
India Today
Ranji Trophy 2022: Ishant Sharma had earlier decided to skip the premier domestic tournament but the pacer has decided to join the Delhi squad and is likely to be available from their 2nd match.
Veteran India pacer Ishant Sharma, who had made himself unavailable for the Ranji Trophy league stage, is set to join the Delhi squad ahead of its opening match against Tamil Nadu on Thursday. Navdeep Saini will also be available for selection for Delhi but the India pacer will miss the opener.
Ishant will also not be available for the tough showdown as he will be in five-day mandatory quarantine. He will be available for the second game against Jharkhand from February 24. The third and final Delhi match is against Chhattisgarh.
"Ishant is reaching today. He will be available from the second game. It would have been better for the team if both the pacers were available from the first game but their return is welcome and it will bolster the team," a team source told PTI.
The veteran pacer is no more certainty in the national playing eleven but he could get a game in the home series against Sri Lanka next month.
A senior official of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) said that Ishant changed his mind about playing in the Ranji Trophy after going unsold in the IPL auction.
"If he won't even play Ranji Trophy, there is no reference available for any team to even remotely think of him. Even for national selectors to reconsider him, he needs to play. Had he got an IPL deal, he might have skipped. He has a 3.30 pm flight today," the official said.
Meanwhile, Saini is expected to reach Guwahati for the Jharkhand game. Saini was with the India ODI squad in Ahmedabad and will not need to quarantine after arrival in Guwahati.
