IPL 2021: Lewis, Thomas replace Buttler, Stokes in RR squad

West Indies batsman Evin Lewis and pace bowler Oshane Thomas have joined Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) as replacements for the remainder of the 2021 season, the franchise announced on Tuesday.

Lewis, who has played 45 T20Is and 57 ODIs for West Indies and has previously played for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, will replace Jos Buttler.

Thomas, who has played 20 ODIs and 17 T20Is for Windies and has previously represented Rajasthan Royals in the 2019 edition, has come in for Ben Stokes.

Both Buttler and Stokes played the first leg of IPL which was stopped following Covid-19 cases in the franchises.

"IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals today announced the final set of their replacement players. West Indian duo of Evin Lewis and Oshane Thomas will be joining the Royals squad as replacement players for the remainder of IPL 2021 to be held in the UAE from 19th September 2021," said RR in a statement.

The 29-year-old Lewis, a left-handed batsman, had made his debut for West Indies during their 2016 World T20 campaign in India, and has 1318 runs to his name in 45 T20Is, at a strike rate of 158. The flamboyant batter has also scored 1847 runs for West Indies in 57 ODIs. His blistering performances for the national side also led him to being picked up by the Mumbai Indians in 2018, for whom he scored 430 runs in 16 matches across 2018 and 2019 seasons.

The Jamaican right-arm pace bowler Thomas, who is currently playing for the Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League, had made his international debut in 2018 in a bilateral ODI and T20I series in India. The 24-year-old Thomas, a recipient of West Indies' Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2019, has picked up 27 wickets in his 20 ODIs, and 19 wickets in 17 T20Is.

In the IPL, he picked five wickets in four matches in the 2019 edition for RR, and was with the franchise during the 2020 season in the UAE as well.