A list of players has been taken out from the roster of participants for the T20 World Cup. A total of six players have been confirmed to be unable to play in the tournament due to different injuries. The latest addition to this list is New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell. While training in the nets at Lincoln on October 7, the player sustained a blow to his hand that fractured his pinkie finger.
He currently has his hands in a cast, which is said to last for around two weeks. Given that the New Zealand team is set to compete in Australia on 15 October, it’s a race against time to find a replacement. Another player taken out is Jasprit Bumrah, who sustained a back stress fracture following his game against Australia.
This is not the first time that the player underwent a back injury as he had gotten cut from the Asia Cup the previous month. Bumrah had already been slated for the white-ball series against South Africa but when assessed by a specialist, the player was officially ruled out from the World Cup on October 3.
There are speculations on who will be his replacement, but he is not the only player on India’s team to be withdrawn from the tournament. India’s ace all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja also got cut from the World Cup. Having suffered a knee injury during the Asia Cup, Jadeja has been ruled out from the T20 World Cup and will be undergoing knee surgery.
Bumrah is not the only cricket player to suffer a back stress fracture that took them out of the tournament this year. Jofra Archer, from team England, also went through a back injury earlier this year and was unable to play for the entire summer. Currently, there is tentative news of the player returning next year. Aside from this, another member of the England team also got taken out by an injury.
That player is Jonny Bairstow, the wicketkeeper-batter of the English team. He had sustained a leg injury from slipping during a round of golf. According to social media posts and photos, the player had broken his leg and dislocated his ankle. He has currently undergone a successful surgery and will not be playing any games for the rest of the year. Among the different players that have got injured this year and could not play the Asia Cup, Pakistan player Shaheen Shah Afridi is the only one to be listed for a possible return for the T20 World Cup.
Since his knee injury, the fast bowler has posted several fitness updates on social media. So far, he has confirmed a successful rehabilitation and had been listed for the T20 World Cup. Currently, the Pakistan team management are waiting for the player’s full fitness before allowing him back on the field.
While replacements and updates for the injured players are not fully confirmed, many are speculating on how the tournament will turn out with these changes.
