Kamlesh Nagarkoti ruled out of IPL 2023 due to back injury; Priyam Garg, Abhimanyu Easwaran join DC camp

In another injury blow for Delhi Capitals, fast bowling sensation Kamlesh Nagarkoti has been ruled out of the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL) with a back injury. The young pacer is yet to feature for Delhi Capitals this season, and now according to a report from PTI, the right-arm pacer will miss the entire season.

Meanwhile, domestic talents Abhimanyu Easwaran and Priyam Garg have joined Delhi’s training camp on Wednesday, April 19, as the franchise is expected to sign a replacement for Nagarkoti in the coming days.

Nagarkoti, 23, has struggled with a back injury in the past IPL tournaments as he is limited to just 12 appearances despite getting picked by Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2018 edition’s auction. He made his IPL debut in 2020 after missing the entire 2019 season with a back injury. 

However, despite some impressive occasional spells, the youngster hasn’t been at his best lately. Rajasthan pacer also endured a poor campaign across domestic tournaments with just seven wickets in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022. He hasn’t played any competitive cricket in 2023 and was not able to crack into Delhi Capitals’ playing eleven in their first five games.

Delhi Capitals are well-stocked with pace options, with Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and Chetan Sakariya featuring regularly with overseas stars Anrich Nortje and Mustafizur Rahman. Ishant Sharma and Lungi Ngidi are also part of Delhi’s bench, but Nagarkoti’s injury blow might hurt Delhi Capitals. 

Khaleel, Mukesh, and Nortje have taken only nine wickets combined so far, as Delhi’s poor bowling performance is reflected in their position in the league table. The spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel has also failed to contribute, with just six wickets combined so far, and now Nagarkoti is missing, the franchise is stuck with existing options.

The David Warner-led franchise remains without a win in IPL 2023 after five games. They will target their maiden win this season as they host seventh-placed Kolkata Knight Riders in their next game on Wednesday, April 20, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.