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The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has reached its business end and players from all the franchises are trying to keep themselves fit to be part of the latter half of the competition.
Ever since the inception of IPL, we have seen injuries being a regular feature of the tournament which has disturbed the combination of the teams. The workload of managing the players in a two-month-long tournament is never easy for the team management and the support staff.
Even in the ongoing edition, we have seen several players getting injured. While some were declared unfit before the start of the tournament, the rest have gone on to injure themselves as the tournament progressed.
For example, Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan has sustained a shoulder injury and has already missed three weeks of action. Let us have a look at three teams having the worst luck with injuries in the ongoing edition of the IPL:
# 1. Chennai Super Kings
The team most affected by injuries has been five-time champions Chennai Super Kings. Before the tournament, Devon Conway, one of their mainstays at the top of the order, was ruled out due to a thumb injury and Richard Gleeson was named as his replacement.
As the tournament progressed, they faced more injury concerns with Matheesha Pathirana being ruled out of one encounter due to a niggle. The bowling unit, including Pathirana, looks completely different and CSK would be hoping he can continue his services for the rest of the tournament.
The latest entrant in the injury list is Deepak Chahar, who walked off the field with discomfort after bowling just two deliveries against the Punjab Kings. This is the second time the pacer has broken down in the tournament after missing a few earlier matches.
The hamstring injury doesn't look great, and while CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan hasn't ruled him out yet, it's highly unlikely the pacer will make a return even if CSK qualifies for the playoffs.
# 2. Delhi Capitals
The Capitals, led by Rishabh Pant, have faced several hurdles owing to injuries in the ongoing edition of the IPL. Before the start of the tournament, Harry Brook made himself unavailable due to personal reasons and was replaced by fast bowler Lizaad Williams.
Meanwhile, Lungi Ngidi was also ruled out of the competition due to an ankle injury and was replaced by Jake Fraser-McGurk, which turned out to be a magical move from the DC team management. Robin Minz was also ruled out due to a bike injury and was replaced by BR Sharath.
The biggest injury crisis for them came when Mitchell Marsh was ruled out of the entirety of the tournament owing to a right hamstring year. Marsh is the captain of the Australian T20 side and was an integral member of the DC set-up. The absence has certainly affected the balance of the squad.
# 3. Lucknow Super Giants
The Super Giants have been affected by quite a few injuries, especially in the pace department. Before the start of the tournament, tearaway fast bowler Mark Wood was ruled out of the tournament citing workload management and was replaced by Shamar Joseph.
The Caribbean fast bowler went for plenty in the only match he has played so far. David Willey, the left arm fast bowler from England, was also ruled out due to fatigue and was replaced by Matt Henry, who has made an impact for LSG.
The latest entrant to the list is Mayank Yadav, who made a massive impact in his first two matches. He became the first player in the history of IPL to bag two back-to-back Player-of-the-Match Awards in his first two matches. He was ruled out after playing just two games as tests revealed soreness in his lower abdominal area.
He made a comeback after five matches but it was restricted to just 3.1 overs before he went off the ground, complaining about a similar discomfort in the lower abdominal area. It is highly unlikely that Mayank will make a return in the ongoing IPL which could prove to be a massive blow to LSG.
