Missing XI of Indian Premier League 2017

SportsCafe Desk
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Remember 2016? Just as the IPL took off in all its glitz, one player after another had ruled them out of the tournament due to injury concerns that took some sheen out of the cash-rich league. And this time too, injury has started to play its part as some star players are missing out the league.

1.  Virat Kohli

This has come as a big setback for the three-time Runners’ up Royal Challengers Bangalore as the Indian skipper is yet to recover from the shoulder injury that he had sustained during the third Test match of the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. And for that, he is almost certain to, miss the first few games of the season. 

Without ruling himself out, Kohli, in the post-match presentation, said, “It’s still a few weeks to go before I can be 100% on the field. But these things happen in your career. Got to take it in my stride and move forward.”

Bangalore will start their campaign against the defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad on the opening day of the tournament. And with less than a week left for the start of the tournament, Kohli is unlikely to be fully fit by then. AB de Villiers, as confirmed by Daniel Vettori, the Bangalore coach, will lead the team in Kohli’s absence.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin

Just when we were about to write this article, news of Ashwin missing out the IPL 2017 came up. It has further come as a big setback for the Rising Pune Supergiant franchise as they have already lost the services of Aussie all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. Ashwin has been suffering from sports hernia, which kept him out of Tamil Nadu's Ranji Trophy quarter-final encounter against Karnataka and now Ashwin is likely to be off the field for six to eight weeks but is expected to regain full fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy in June.

3. Mitchell Starc

Australian speedster Mitchell Starc parted ways with Royal Challengers Bangalore just a day before the Indian Premier League 2017 player auction. Although initially he was pulled out to undergo a period of rehabilitation and strength ahead of the Champions Trophy in England in June, he later sustained a fracture on his foot and had to rule himself out of the series against India.

Starc had also missed the entire 2016 season because he was recovering from a foot fracture.

4. Mustafizur Rahman

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman will probably miss out the entire edition of the tournament as he revealed that he still hasn't received permission from the Bangladesh Cricket Board to play in this year's edition. He has also been advised by his ODI skipper Mashrafe Mortaza to skip the IPL in order to remain fit and fresh for national commitments. If he backs out, it will certainly be a challenge for the defending champions to balance their bowling combination. 

5. Dwayne Bravo

The West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will miss the initial matches of the IPL due to a hamstring injury. He was an important member of the Gujarat Lions and picked up an impressive 17 wickets in the team’s debut season last year. 

He hasn't played a competitive cricket since December last week when he injured his hamstring while playing in the Big Bash League.

6. JP Duminy

South Africa all-rounder JP Duminy has pulled out of the tournament, citing personal reasons for his decision. Although Duminy did not explain the reason specifically, it appears that he wanted to shift his entire focus to South Africa’s series against England that starts on May 24, just before the Champions Trophy in the England. 

Duminy had led Delhi Daredevils in the 2015 edition and has scored 1015 runs and claimed 13 wickets for the franchise since joining the team in 2014. His absence will surely affect the Daredevils franchise and Rahul Dravid should ask the youngsters to step up to fill the void.

7. Quinton de Kock

The South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman has been enjoying the form of his life, and has also drawn comparisons with the inimitable Adam Gilchrist. But, in what has come as a massive blow for the Delhi franchise as Cricket South Africa ruled him out of playing the 2017 IPL season as he needs at least four weeks to recover from the injury, he sustained during the Test series against New Zealand. 

Delhi Daredevils mentor Rahul Dravid has also admitted that losing Quinton de Kock and JP Duminy has come as a massive blow for the franchise ahead of the mega tournament.

"It is obviously a big blow when you lose big players like JP Duminy and Quinton De Kock. If these things happen before the auction, then it is easier because you can plan better. But then this is how it goes and you cannot help it. We do have talented players like Sam Billings and hopefully, they can go up and perform."

8. KL Rahul

RCB wouldn’t have thought of this for once for sure. Rahul has struck six half-centuries in the series against Australia, but just six days ahead of their opening clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad, they have been dealt a double blow, with KL Rahul joining Virat Kohli on the injury list. Rahul suffered a shoulder injury during the Test series and will shortly be undergoing surgery in London.

Rahul had hurt his shoulder during the first Test against Australia in Pune and played the remainder of the series through pain. Rahul was RCB’s third highest run-scorer in 2016, with 397 runs in 12 innings, behind AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli.

9. Mitchell Marsh

Marsh picked up a shoulder injury during the Test series against India, which forced him to return to Australia midway from the tour. He underwent a reconstructive surgery, which would keep him on the sidelines for close to nine months. And for that, Rising Pune Supergiant, which finished at the seventh position in the last edition, have roped in South Africa legspinner Imran Tahir as a replacement.

10. Martin Guptill

In the last week of February, Guptill had suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the first three ODIs of the series against South Africa. And now, he is undergoing a six-week-long strength and conditioning rehabilitation programme, which means he will not play in the early parts of the Indian Premier League, where he would be plying his trade for Kings XI Punjab. 

11. Murali Vijay

The Indian opener will require surgery to his right wrist and also undergo rehabilitation for his left shoulder and hence may not be able to participate in IPL 2017. 

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