Zampa earns late IPL deal with RCB as Richardson pulls out

Adam Zampa has received a late call-up to the upcoming Indian Premier League after Royal Challengers Bangalore announced they have signed the leg-spinner to replace his close friend, Kane Richardson.

Richardson will forgo his fresh $816k (AUD) contract with the star-studded RCB and instead head home to Adelaide to be with his wife Nyki for the birth of his first child when Australia's limited-overs tour of England concludes later this month.

It opens the door for his national limited-overs teammate Zampa, who will head to Dubai (where the tournament kicks off on September 19) for his first IPL stint in three years.

He is the second Australian to receive a late IPL call-up in recent days after paceman Daniel Sams, who is also in England pushing for an international debut on his maiden Australian tour, replaced England opener Jason Roy at the Ricky Ponting-coached Delhi Capitals.

Zampa joins Aussie captain Aaron Finch and young gun Josh Philippe at the Virat Kohli-captained RCB, while AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn are also on the club's books.

The 28-year-old has an enviable record from his two-year stint with (the now defunct) Rising Pune Supergiants, taking 19 wickets at 14.73 at an economy rate of 7.55 and helping Pune to the 2017 final. 

Zampa was nonetheless passed over at each of the ensuing three IPL auctions before his eleventh-hour call-up for Bangalore this week.

He faces stiff competition for a spot given the club already features capped India limited-overs spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar and Pawan Negi, as well as England off-spinner Moeen Ali.

"We are disappointed to not have Kane's skills with us this IPL as he's certainly on top of his game," RCB's coach Mike Hesson said.

"However, once we found out Kane and Nyki's baby was due during the IPL, it's an exciting time and we were fully supportive of Kane wanting to be at the birth of their first child.

"When looking at our squad for UAE conditions we felt it was an opportunity to bring in another quality leg-spinner in Adam Zampa to provide cover for Chahal and also give us extra options if conditions suit spin as expected during the tournament."

Zampa is only the second Australian spinner after Sydney Thunder T20 specialist Chris Green (Kolkata Knight Riders) to win a contract for this year's IPL.

Richardson, one of the T20 game's pre-eminent death bowlers, has not played in the IPL since 2016.

Players and officials, the likes of Australians Ricky Ponting (the coach of Delhi Capitals), Andrew McDonald (coach of Rajasthan Royals) and Shane Watson (Chennai Super Kings player) among them, have begun mandatory quarantine in the United Arab Emirates ahead of the tournament.

The 13 Australians in the national limited-overs squad who have IPL deals will join them after the final ODI against England on September 16.

The Indian cricket board announced Saturday that 13 'personnel' (only two of whom were players) in the IPL bubble tested positive for COVID-19, with the positive tests reportedly originating with the Chennai Super Kings.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, one of two Aussies at CSK along with Watson, admitted it was a concern.

"The franchise, we have a group WhatsApp, with all the information that comes through, it's, obviously, a little bit of a concern, yeah. You ideally would have no cases," Hazlewood said this week.

"They are obviously in quarantine now and I think they finish up over the next few days. All my focus is on this tournament at the moment. Once that IPL becomes closer, we will think more about that."