Veteran India pacer Ishant Sharma, who had made himself unavailable for the Ranji Trophy league stage, is set to join the Delhi squad ahead of its opening match against Tamil Nadu on Thursday. However, Ishant will not be available for the tough showdown as he will be in five-day quarantine. He will be available for the second game against Jharkhand from February 24. The third Delhi match is against Chhattisgarh.

“Ishant is reaching today. He will be available from second game. It would have been better for the team if both the pacers were available from first game but their return is welcome and it will bolster the team,” a team source said. A senior official of the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association said that Ishant changed his mind after going unsold in the IPL auction.