Ishant Sharma is set to join Delhi Ranji Team

Ishant Sharma, a veteran India bowler who had withdrawn from the Ranji Trophy league stage, is scheduled to join the Delhi squad ahead of the team’s first encounter against Tamil Nadu on Thursday. Navdeep Saini, the India pacer, will also be eligible for selection for Delhi, although he will miss the opener. As a result, Ishant will not be able to participate in the showdown as he will be in quarantine for five days. On February 24, he will be available for the second game against Jharkhand. The third and final match for Delhi is against Chhattisgarh.

“Ishant is reaching today; he will be ready from the second game,” a team source told PTI. “It would have been ideal for the squad if both pacers were available from the first game, but their comeback is good and would reinforce the team.”

The experienced bowler is no longer a guarantee in the national playing eleven, but he might participate in the next home series against Sri Lanka.

After being unsold in the IPL auction, Ishant changed his mind about participating in the Ranji Trophy, according to a top official of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA).

“If he refuses to play in the Ranji Trophy, there is no reference for any team to consider. He must play if he is to be considered by national selection. He may have skipped if he had gotten an IPL contract. He has a flight at 3.30 p.m. today “explained the officer.

Meanwhile, Saini will travel to Guwahati for the Jharkhand game. Saini was with the India One-Day International team in Ahmedabad and will not be quarantined upon arrival in Guwahati.

Ishant, 33, has played 105 Tests but has fallen down the pecking order with the rise of Mohammed Siraj and now Prasidh Krishna. In South Africa, he did not play a single Test