JP Duminy drops a bombshell on Delhi Daredevils ahead of IPL 2017

JP Duminy, who has been a key player in the Delhi Daredevils team since 2014, has withdrawn from the 2017 Indian Premier League due to “personal reasons.”

In a statement released by the Delhi Daredevils franchise, JP Duminy said that it was a very difficult decision to take. “I’m grateful for the support and understanding from the franchise. It has been an absolute privilege to have played for and led a talented mix of players. I certainly hope to play a part for the franchise in the near future.”

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Delhi Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua said that it was disappointing to lose JP Duminy, adding that a replacement has not been named yet.

“We respect JP’s decision. As a franchise we clearly understand his position. At this stage we can only confirm that we will look for a replacement at an appropriate time,” Dua said.

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Duminy has undergone a slump in form in 2017. In the series against Sri Lanka, played in South Africa in 2016/17, Duminy struggled in the limited-overs format. After a stellar Test series in which he smashed 254 runs, including a knock of 155, he managed just 69 runs in five ODIs at an average of 23.

In the current series against New Zealand, the left-hander has struggled across all formats. He scored 29 in the T20I in Auckland but in the ODI series, he had a lean run in which he managed scores of just 1,34,16,25 and 3. Although South Africa won both the T20I and the ODI series against New Zealand, Duminy’s form has been of concern.

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In the two Tests so far, he has scored just 1,39, 16 and 15* though he picked up 4/47 in the Wellington Test which South Africa won by eight wickets.

Duminy has endured mixed fortunes during his time at the franchise since 2014. In his first year, Duminy shone through with 410 runs at an average of 51.25 but the team endured a horrible time as they landed up with the wodden spoon with just two wins out of 14.

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In 2015, Duminy was selected to lead the side but his team continued to perform poorly as they managed only a seventh-place finish but the South African left-hander once again put in a good performance with 414 runs at an average of 41. In 2016, Zaheer Khan led the team and Delhi Daredevils finished sixth after a decent showing. Duminy managed 191 runs in 10 games at an average of just 38.

The 2017 IPL will take start from April 5 and Delhi Daredevils will play their first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 8 at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore.