Punjab Kings have signed Adil Rashid as a replacement player for the UAE leg of IPL 2021. The 33-year-old England leg spinner, the joint-highest wicket-taker at The Hundred, replaces Australian fast bowler Jhye Richardson, who along with compatriot Riley Meredith, has withdrawn from the second half of the tournament.

Rashid, is currently ranked fourth in ICC's list of T20I bowlers and has taken 232 wickets from 201 T20 matches at an economy of 7.43. Rashid was part of the England squad that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He is currently England's leading wicket taker among spin bowlers in ODIs and T20Is respectively.

He is one of three Englishmen in the Punjab Kings setup, alongside Dawid Malan and Chris Jordan. He will also be one of three legspinning options for KL Rahul alongside the Indian pair of Ravi Bishnoi and Murugan Ashwin. Punjab Kings are placed sixth in the standings and will begin their UAE leg with a clash against Rajasthan Royals in Dubai on September 21.