Lizaad Williams. (Source -Twitter/X)
Delhi Capitals (DC) have signed Lizaad Williams as a replacement for Harry Brook for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
The England batter pulled out of the 17th edition of the cash-rich league a few days before its commencement after the demise of his grandmother. Brook’s services were acquired by the Capitals at the IPL 2024 auction last year for INR 4 crore. After he decided to give IPL 2024 a skip to spend time around his grieving family, the Capitals did not announce his replacement immediately.
However, on Monday, April 8, South African pacer Lizaad Williams was roped in as Brook’s replacement by the Rishabh Pant-led franchise. The right-arm pacer made his international debut in 2021 and has represented the Proteas in all three formats of the game. In two Tests, four ODIs, and 11 T20Is, Williams has picked up three, five, and 16 wickets respectively. He played his last international match against India in the ODI series last year in December.
The 30-year-old has the ability to bowl with raw pace, clocking speeds of around 140 kph consistently. He was called up as a replacement for the injured Anrich Norte in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
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Can Delhi Capitals turn things around?
After finishing at No. 9 on the points table last year, the Capitals would have hoped for a turnaround this season. The return of Rishabh Pant must have given them a lot of confidence. However, the Delhi-based franchise has not been able to play as a unit and suffered four defeats in their first five games.
On Sunday, April 7, they suffered a 29-run defeat against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The five-time champions came into this clash on the back of defeats in each of their first three games in IPL 2024. After posting 234/5 in their 20 overs, the hosts restricted the Capitals to 205/8 to register their first win of the season.
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The Capitals would have to bounce back strongly as time is slowly running out for them. They are languishing at the bottom of the table and will take on Lucknow Super Giants in their next game on Friday, April 12 in Lucknow.