RR's Obed McCoy to participate in T20 Blast
Rajasthan Royals (RR) pacer Obed McCoy has been roped in by Sussex for the ongoing Vitality T20 Blast. McCoy is the fifth overseas signee at Sussex and will replace leg-spinner, Rashid Khan. He would make his presence felt for four matches. He will be seen in action against Gujarat Titans in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Sunday.
As per ESPNCricinfo, counties can register upto three overseas players simultaneously, but they can field only two. Sussex had roped in Mohammad Rizwan and Rashid. However, Rizwan would be unavailable in the midway mark owing to Pakistan's tour of WI. And, Rashid would be available only for the last six fixtures, as a result of IPL final and later, Afghanistan's tour of Zimbabwe.
Australia wicket-keeper batter Josh Philippe was signed as a partial replacement. However, his availability came under question owing to Australia A tour of Sri Lanka. That resulted in NZ's Tim Seifert being called up for his services for a short stint midway in the tourney.
James Kirtley, head coach of Sussex T20, believes that McCoy will be a terrific addition to their side given his skill sets. "Obed will be a fantastic addition to our team. He is an up-and-coming world-class T20 cricketer. Fresh off a very successful IPL, he can bowl with pace and has great skills at the death," he said as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
McCoy has snared 56 wickets in 41 T20s. The left-armer averages 20.48 and has an economy of 8.37. He has three four-wicket hauls in this format. In T20Is, he has claimed 19 wickets in 13 appearances while averaging an astonishing 16.84. He has an impeccable economy of 7.61 and has clipped two four-fers. He clocked his best figures (4/22) against SA in 2021.
McCoy has had a successful run in the ongoing edition of IPL. So far, he has affected 11 dismissals in six matches at 19.18. His best figures read 3/22. He has chipped in with eight wickets in the death overs while averaging merely 9.75.
Sussex languish at the bottom of the table in the South Group standings. They have lost their first two matches against Glamorgan and Gloucestershire. They have a Net Run Rate (NRR) of -1.360. They will next face Kent on May 29.
