IPL 2018: 5 pacers who can replace Mohammed Shami in Delhi Daredevils

Team India fast-bowler Mohammed Shami’s cricket career is at crossroads after the BCCI withheld his name from the list of central contracts due to some serious personal allegations made by his wife, Hasin Jahan.

Jahan registered an FIR on Friday against Shami and four other members of his family. Claims of adultery, torture and threats of being killed were made against the pacer. His wife of four years had earlier taken to Facebook to post screenshots of alleged conversations between Shami and multiple women.

The Delhi Daredevils bowler has been booked under sections 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 323 (Causing hurt), 307 (Attempt to murder), 376 (Punishment for rape), 506 (Criminal intimidation), 328 (Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence.), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC.

Although the charges against Shami have not been proved as yet, it is safe to assume that he, in all likeliness, may not play the IPL this year because of the long process the police will undergo. In his absence, here are 5 other Indian bowlers who can take up the pace responsibility in the Gautam Gambhir led side.

---

#1 Rajneesh Gurbani

The 24-year-old had a remarkable 2017-18 Ranji Trophy season

The primary influence behind Vidarbha's success in the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy was fast bowler Rajneesh Gurbani who finished the season as the second-highest wicket-taker with 39 wickets. The 24-year-old claimed a hat-trick in the first innings of the final against Delhi and his eventual figures of 6 for 59 restricted Delhi to 295.

Besides, he took 6 for 113 against Himachal Pradesh, 5 for 38 against Kerala in the quarter-final and 5 for 94 and 7 for 68 against Karnataka in the semi-final. Gurbani, an engineer by education, was auctioned for Rs. 20 lakhs but had no takers. Shami’s absence can become an opportunity for the youngster to enter the world of IPL.

#2 Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma went unsold at his base price of Rs. 75 lakhs

Ishant Sharma found no takers in the January auctions after being listed for a base price of Rs. 75 lakh. The veteran pacer has plenty of IPL experience under his belt, which can come handy to any team. Despite being known as a decent T20 bowler, as is evident from his stats, Ishant fails to get takers in the auctions.

Last year too he went unsold but was called in as a replacement for an injured Murali Vijay by the Kings XI Punjab. Although he remained wicketless in the six games he played, it is his experience – that of playing for five different IPL teams – that counts. Besides, he is a Delhi local boy!

#3 Sreenath Aravind

The Karnataka bowler played two seasons for RCB

Karnataka’s fast bowler Sreenath Aravind has previously delivered some good performances in the IPL, especially in the 2011 season, when he claimed 21 wickets and finished as the third-highest wicket-taker. He couldn’t get going after that, but in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, he played a couple of matches for RCB, during which his lovely variations were on display.

The 33-year-old announced his retirement from domestic cricket after the end of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018 final. He finished his domestic career with 186 wickets from 56 first-class games, and 57 wickets from 41 List A matches.

Aravind was auctioned at Rs. 50 lakh in the two-day Bengaluru event but had no takers. His good bowling in the powerplays can make him an asset for the Daredevils.

#4 Ashok Dinda

Dinda has been playing IPL since its inception but remained unsold this year

Bengal pacer Ashok Dinda went almost unsold in the IPL 2016 auctions before Pune bought him in the final round. The bowler, who didn’t have form by his side at that time, delivered a superb spell of 3 for 23 that destroyed the Sunrisers’ batting and took Pune to 34-run win. He may not be a consistent bowler, but every once in a while he can spring up a surprise and destroy the opposition.

He ended the 2016 season with 11 wickets from nine games, and in the 2017 edition, he picked up a solitary wicket from three games because he was benched for most of the season. His experience of playing IPL for the past ten years can come crucial to any franchise. He remained unsold in the 2018 auctions, with a base price of Rs. 50 lakhs.

#5 Varun Aaron

The Jharkhand pacer has previously played for the Daredevils

Varun Aaron and Umesh Yadav had emerged onto the international scene together, with their express pace which crossed the 145-mark, but only the latter survived the growing competition and injuries. In 2017, Aaron was picked by the RCB for Rs. 2.8 crores but he failed to repay the trust kept in him, with a high economy rate and very few wickets.

Probably this led to him being unsold in the 2018 auctions in which his base price was Rs. 50 lakhs. But his six seasons of IPL experience, along with 48 first-class and 42 List A matches, can earn him a surprise replacement in the long tournament which sees several fast bowlers getting injured.