Why is Shadab Khan not playing today’s BBL 2022-23 match between Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers?

The bat flip before the 26th match of the ongoing 12th season of the Big Bash League between Hobart Hurricanes and Adelaide Strikers in Hobart hasn’t been delayed primarily due to weather gods showing leniency to not cause any sort of interruption for now despite severe thunder warnings.

Adelaide Strikers captain Peter Siddle won the bat flip and chose to bat in their fourth match of the season away from home. Having already lost two away matches, the visitors would be confident of defeating bottom-ranked hosts in spite of a dismal record at the Bellerive Oval.

The only change made by Adelaide to their Playing XI for this match is benching pacer Harry Thornton for a like-for-like replacement in Harry Conway. Highest BBL 2022-23 wicket-taker as of now, Thornton has been rested after picking 16 wickets in six matches at an average of 10.62, an economy rate of 7.78 and a strike rate of 8.1. Conway, meanwhile, will be playing his first match of the season tonight.

Why is Shadab Khan not playing today vs Adelaide Strikers?

Hobart Hurricanes, on the other hand, have made a total of three changes to their Playing XI for their first match of 2023. The development has resulted in quite a shakeup to their combination.

Batters Ben McDermott and Mitchell Owen and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf are playing this match in place of all-rounders Shadab Khan and James Neesham and fast bowler Joel Paris. While Owen is playing his first match of the season, Ashraf will be participating in his first-ever BBL match on Monday.

While Neesham (62 runs at an average of 12.40) and Paris (two wickets at an economy and strike rate of 10.42 and 40 respectively) have been dropped due to poor form, Khan has missed this match due to a finger injury sustained in the last match against Sydney Thunder on Saturday.

Khan, who has grabbed several stunning catches off his own bowling in his maiden BBL season for HH, has dismissed seven batters at an average of 20.57, an economy rate of 7.57 and a strike rate of 16.2 and will be surely missed at the Blundstone Arena tonight.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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