South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje will replace Chris Woakes of England in the Delhi Capitals squad for the Indian Premier League, the franchise announced Tuesday.
Woakes had pulled out of the lucrative Twenty20 tournament in March due to family commitments after being bought by Delhi for $200,000 in the December auctions. Nortje, 26, will join fellow South African Kagiso Rabada in the Delhi squad for the 13th IPL which has been shifted to the United Arab Emirates and will start on September 19.
"I am excited to join the Delhi Capitals, a team that was the talk of the tournament last season," Nortje said of the franchise, coached by Australian great Ricky Ponting. "With its exciting mix of experienced and young players, and a stellar coaching line-up, there is no doubt this is going to be a massive learning experience for me."
Nortje, who was named as Cricket South Africa's newcomer of the year for 2020, has played six Tests for the national team since making his debut in Pune last year. He was with the Kolkata franchise last season, but a shoulder injury cut short his chances of making an IPL debut.