IPL 2020: Ishant Sharma potentially injured, who is likely to replace him in DC?

Ishant Sharma was roped in by Delhi Capitals (DC) last season for ₹110 lakh, where he claimed 13 wickets in 13 matches at an economy of 7.58. Overall, he has claimed 72 wickets in 89 matches at an economy of 8.09, and has played for six teams in the tournament.

DC are one of the three sides in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) to have not won the title to date. As they look to change their fortunes this time around, they have been dealt with a setback just the day during their opening clash.

According to Cricbuzz, Indian pacer Ishant Sharma has reportedly injured himself during training. The site also reports that the pacer has injured his back and it is being speculated that the state of the injury could be serious, while he could be sidelined for a considerable amount of time.

Ishant is no stranger when it comes to injuries, as he had injured his ankle in January this year, right before the Test series against New Zealand. Following this, he underwent an intensive rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), in Bengaluru, while the IPL would have marked his first major comeback since.

As for DC, it is not sure whether they would rope in a replacement for him. However, as of now, they do have some bowlers in their squad who can fill it up for him.

Mohit Sharma: The medium-pace bowler, who made a name for himself in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Team India, has been inconsistent for quite some time. However, having claimed 91 wickets in 85 matches at an economy of 8.41 is commendable and is certainly the next best Indian pacer in the side after Ishant.

Avesh Khan: The pacer form Madhya Pradesh was one of the prominent names during the 2016 ICC U-19 World Cup. While he was roped in by DC in 2018, he has mostly been on the bench ever since. Nonetheless, he did perform in the domestic circuit, especially in the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy, where he was the highest wicket-taker for MP. Given a chance, he is likely to make an impact.

Harshal Patel: A veteran uncapped bowler in the side, he has quite some experience in the format. In the IPL, he has played 43 matches and has claimed the same number of wickets at an economy of 8.72. With an impressive outing in the domestic circuit for Haryana, he could well be one of the prime contenders to replace Ishant, for now.