South African batsman Aiden Markram has been signed by the Punjab Kings for the remainder of the IPL 2021 season

South African top order batsman Aiden Markram has been signed by Punjab Kings, as a replacement for Dawid Malan for the remainder of the 2021 IPL season

South African top-order batsman Aiden Markram has been signed by Punjab Kings, as a replacement for Dawid Malan for the remainder of the 2021 IPL season. Malan, along with other English players have opted out from travelling to the UAE and play.

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It was like a reward for yesterday’s efforts as he scored a match-defining 48* off 33 balls which includes 1 four and 2 sixes, as he handled tricky conditions in Colombo to allow South Africa to win the match and be awarded the Man of the Match yesterday. Markram has been unsold before in the auctions and this will be his first stint in the IPL.

Malan used to bat at No. 4 for the Kings behind Prabhsimran Singh, Mayank Agarwal and Chris Gayle. Markram though is an opener in the shortest format of the game and has played the position in six of his last 12 T20I innings. He has accumulated 405 runs playing as an opening batsman, at a strike rate of 150 which includes four fifties.

Markram is currently playing for South Africa and is touring Sri Lanka with the team. He will play two more T20I matches on the 12th and 14th of September. There have been no details regarding when he will join the Punjab Kings squad in the UAE.

The Punjab Kings are currently in the sixth position on the table with six points and have lost five of their eight matches.

The IPL season will start again on the 19th of September in the UAE with the first match being between perennial rivals Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings