West Indies pace sensation Shamar Joseph, who single-handedly won a Test against Australia last month, was on Saturday roped in by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the upcoming IPL as replacement for England’s Mark Wood.
The 24-year-old Shamar destroyed the star-studded Australian batting line-up in their second innings with amazing figures of 7/68 to help the West Indies notch up a famous win at the Gabba in Brisbane to emerge as one of the most sought-after fast bowlers in the world.
He will join LSG for Rs 3 crore in his first IPL stint.
“Lucknow Super Giants named Shamar Joseph as replacement for pacer Mark Wood for the upcoming edition of the Tata Indian Premier League 2024,” the IPL said in a statement.
“Joseph will join LSG for Rs 3 crore. The speedster was recently at the forefront during West Indies’ Test win at the Gabba. He picked 7 wickets in the second innings to script a historic win in Australia for West Indies.”
The development means that Wood will not be available for IPL 2024 after the ECB decided to pull him out of the tournament to manage his workload.
Born in Baracara, a tiny community in Guyana, Shamar picked up cricket late into his childhood. The right-arm pacer made his first-class debut only in February 2023.
Shamar’s meteoric rise reached its pinnacle in January, when he picked up a five-wicket in his debut Test innings in Adelaide.
He caught the attention of the cricketing world by getting a wicket off his first delivery in international cricket, scalping veteran Steve Smith.
Shamar had been signed by Dubai Capitals for the ongoing ILT20 but was subsequently ruled out because of the toe injury he suffered in the Brisbane Test. His performance in Australia has since landed him a deal with Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL.
Written with PTI inputs
