COUNTRY COMES FIRST PRIORITY:
PROTEAS SPEEDSTER WILL DELAY HIS ARRIVAL AT DELHI CAPITALS The white-ball tour by Pakistan in April is likely to clash with at least the first week of the IPL.
Kagiso Rabada has just one IPL team on his portfolio – the Delhi Capitals – but notwithstanding his loyalty to them, the fast bowler said yesterday that the Proteas are his first priority and he will probably
have to miss the first week or so of this year’s T20 extravaganza in India.
The Delhi side, which was originally known as the Delhi Daredevils before a name change ahead of the 2019 IPL, were runners-up in last year’s competition, with Rabada playing a key role as the leading wicket-taker in the competition. He has unsurprisingly been retained for this year’s edition, at a salary of $575 000.
But the Capitals have expressed some anxiety about his availability this year as fixture-starved South Africa are hosting a whiteball series against Pakistan from 2-16 April. Although the dates for the IPL have not yet been officially
confirmed, it is believed likely that there will be some overlap.
“In terms of the IPL, my country comes first. It looks like I might miss about a week of the IPL, but the Proteas are my priority. That being said, Delhi is my home in India. They’re the only team I’ve played for in the IPL and they have looked after me very well,” Rabada said yesterday.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) director of cricket Graeme Smith said this week that no definite decision had been taken yet over when the Proteas would be released because they were still waiting for those dates.
The 25-year-old Lions star is now in Durban preparing for the
CSA T20 Challenge which starts today, with the Titans playing the Knights and the Dolphins taking on the Cape Cobras.
The Lions, who won the CSA T20 Challenge the last time it was held in 2018/19, start their campaign tomorrow against the Warriors, with the entire tournament being held at Kingsmead.
The Lions certainly have the firepower to be considered one of the favourites with Rabada leading a bowling attack that includes fellow Proteas in pacemen Dwaine Pretorius, Beuran Hendricks, Wiaan Mulder and Lutho Sipamla and the left-arm spinners Bjorn Fortuin and Aaron Phangiso.