“It has been a very difficult decision for me to make”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

South Africa all-rounder JP Duminy has ruled himself out of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to “personal reasons”.

Duminy, who plays for the Delhi Daredevils, performed quite well in last year’s IPL, where he scored 191 runs in 10 matches at an average of 38.20. He also took two wickets at an average of 27.50.

The 32-year-old expressed his disappointment at having to withdraw from the tournament, but made it clear that he wanted to return next year.

“It has been a very difficult decision for me to make, but it was for purely personal reasons,” he said. “I’m grateful for the support and understanding from the franchise. It has been an absolute privilege to have played for and led a talented mix of players. I certainly hope to play a part for the franchise in the near future.”

Daredevils chief executive Hemant Dua revealed that the franchise respected Duminy’s decision and added that they will now be looking for a replacement.

“We respect JP’s decision,” Dua said. “We are naturally very disappointed to not have JP in our midst this year, but as a franchise we clearly understand his position. At this stage, we can only confirm that we will look for a replacement at an appropriate time.”

The Daredevils begin their IPL campaign against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 8.