The New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill will finally get his chance in the Indian Premier League after being called into the glamour competition as an injury replacement.
The Black Caps opener Martin Guptill hits a boundary against Pakistan. Photo: Photosport
Guptill will play for the Mumbai Indians after opener Lendl Simmons was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament due to an injury to his lower back.
Simmons' injury is similar to the one that forced him to withdraw from the first stage of the World T20 last month.
He later joined the West Indies team for the tournament, in place of the injured Andre Fletcher, and scored a crucial 51-ball 82 not out in the semi-final against India in Mumbai.
Simmons was the best batsman for Mumbai Indians during their title run in IPL 2015.
Guptill was unsold during the player auction in February, despite being listed as one of the marquee players at a base price of just over a hundred thousand dollars.
The opening batsman was the highest run-getter in the 2015 World Cup, scoring 547 runs in nine matches, including a knock of 237 against West Indies in the quarter-final.
Guptill's overall T20 record stands at 4684 runs from 155 matches with two centuries, including one against South Africa in December 2012.
Guptill has also played in the Caribbean Premier League for Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, apart from stints with Derbyshire and Sydney Thunder.
