South Africa batsman set to make IPL debut after being drafted in for injured Shaun Marsh
Amla set to replace Marsh at Kings XI
South African batsman Hashim Amla will replace the injured Shaun Marsh at Kings XI Punjab for the remainder of the season.
Marsh was ruled out of the tournament Monday with a lower back injury he reportedly sustained during Punjab's match against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 19.
Amla today tweeted his excitement about joining Kings XI for the second half of the season.
Excited to be with @lionsdenkxip for the remainder of the @ipl. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the support peeps
— hashim amla (@amlahash) May 4, 2016
Amla, who has never played an IPL match, went unsold at February's IPL auction with a base price of $200,000.
The elegant right-hander opened the batting for the Proteas in last month's World T20 in India, scoring 120 runs and two half-centuries in his four appearances.
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Overall, Amla has played 88 T20 matches, with a tidy average of 31.35 and a strike rate of 125.95.
His top score of 97no came against Australia in March, thrashing the tourists to all parts of Newlands with eight fours and four sixes.
He joins a club that is struggling in last place with only two wins from seven matches.
Along with Marsh's exit and Amla's arrival, the franchise has undergone a change of leadership, with David Miller stepping down from the captaincy and Murali Vijay taking his place.