Delhi Capitals' Chris Woakes Pulls Out Of IPL 2020

Even before the start of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, Delhi Capitals have suffered a big blow with the allrounder Chris Woakes pulling out of the entire tournament. Delhi Capitals had secured the England star’s services at the 2020 IPL auction by spending INR 1.5 crore.

Chris Woakes decided to pull out of the IPL in order to stay fresh for England’s home summer where they will host Pakistan and West Indies. England are currently preparing for two Tests against Sri Lanka, and will later play six Test across three months at home against West Indies and Pakistan starting from June 4.

On the other hand, the IPL, which starts from March 29, finishes on May 24, less than two weeks before the start of England’s home summer. And thus instead of playing the IPL, Chris Woakes has decided to remain fresh for his international assignments and has informed the franchise of his decision according to the PA news agency.

Chris Woakes has previously played for Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL but did not really manage to make a mark. In 18 IPL games, he picked up 25 wickets while conceding at an economy rate of over 9. But Delhi Capitals would have loved his services especially after Ishant Sharma’s injury which has put his participation in the competition in doubt. Even Kagiso Rabada is facing a race against time to recover from his groin strain.

In the forthcoming season of the IPL, Delhi Capitals will be looking to build on their fine performance in the last edition. The young side led by Shreyas Iyer exceeded all the expectations and made it to the playoffs. It was the first time since 2012 that the Delhi-based outfit progressed ahead of the league stage.

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