Srinagar, Jan 6: The star all-rounder Abdul Samad is set to return for the J&K senior cricket team after being sidelined due to injury.
Sayad is likely to join the J&K Ranj trophy squad ahead of their next clash against Punjab.
According to the details available, Samad will be joining the rest of the squad in Chandigarh on Saturday. He will have to undergo a fitness test conducted by J&K Ranji Trophy team physio and if declared fit, Samad could take part in J&K’s next match against Punjab on January 10.
Samad who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL suffered the injury during J&K’s Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign. He went on to miss remained of the matches for J&K in the one-day tournament and has also missed the first four matches of the Ranji Trophy tournament as well.
Before getting injured, Samad was in terrific form for J&K both in T20 and One Day tournaments.
His absence greatly affected the team’s performance in Ranji Trophy with the side suffering three defeats out of four matches. Though known for his power-hitting, Samad has an excellent record in first-class cricket. His style of play is aggressive and he has continued that approach in a longer format as well. In the 13 first-class matches, Samad has scored 825 runs with an average of 41 and a strike rate of 111. In a longer format having such a strike rate is a rarity. He has also scored three centuries during his short first-class career so far.
With J&K’s batting completely failing in the absence of Samad and ParvezRasool, the return of the IPL star will be a big boost for the team.