Shimron Hetmyer has been ruled out of the rest of the current ILT20 season due to a hamstring injury. The injury has been a setback for table-toppers Desert Vipers, who have brought in former England opener Jason Roy as his replacement.
Shimron Hetmyer Injury Update: What happened?
The injury to the Desert Vipers batter Shimron Hetmyer occurred in their match against Abu Dhabi Knight Riders earlier this week. Following assessment by its medical team, the franchise confirmed that Hetmyer will be unable to take any further part in the ILT20 season. Despite this, Hetmyer played in all seven of the Vipers’ matches and had a pretty torrid time with the bat.
Shimron Hetmyer’s Performance in ILT20 2025
While his effect was limited, Shimron Hetmyer still showed flashes of his trademark power-hitting.
Matches played: 7
Runs scored: 111
Innings: 6
Average: 18.50
Strike rate: 160.86
Highest score: 48 off 25 balls vs ADKR on December 5
Though consistency eluded him, his strike rate reflected that he could accelerate very well down the order.
Jason Roy replaces Shimron Hetmyer
The Desert Vipers have drafted in Jason Roy to replace Shimron Hetmyer, a proven T20 batter with loads of franchise experience around the world. Roy arrives fresh from the Nepal Premier League for Pokhara Avengers, where he scored 68 runs in three matches at an average of 34.
Abu Dhabi T10, leading Royal Champs
Jason Roy’s ILT20 Experience
Jason Roy is no stranger to the ILT20 setup:
2024: Played two matches for ADKR
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2025 season: Played for Sharjah Warriorz, 298 runs in 12 matches at an average of 29.80
His experience of the conditions and the format makes him the perfect fit for the Vipers’ squad.
Desert Vipers Management Reacts
The Vipers’ Director of Cricket Tom Moody acknowledged the loss while at the same time believing in the replacement.
“We are extremely disappointed to lose a player of Shimron Hetmyer’s quality and experience. He has played a positive role in our squad this season. However, securing someone of Jason Roy’s pedigree certainly softens that blow.”
Additionally, Moody praised Roy’s versatility, current match practice, and tactical value across the batting order.
The Desert Vipers’ standing in ILT20 at the moment is:
Even despite the set back of Shimron Hetmyer, Desert Vipers still had a commanding position:
Matches played: 7
Wins: 6
Position: Top of the points table
Their one-run defeat to ADKR last week was their first loss following six successive victories.
What’s Next for Desert Vipers?
It will be a bit of a wait, though, as the Vipers return to action on Sunday evening against the Sharjah Warriorz in Dubai. Jason Roy has already joined the squad and is available for selection.
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