Gujarat Lions have suffered a big blow after star bowler Dwayne Bravo was ruled out for the first phase of the upcoming IPL.
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is set to miss the initial games of IPL 2017 after having suffered a hamstring injury. The incident occurred in December 2016 when Bravo was playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League and put in a dive while fielding against the Perth Scorchers due to which his hamstring pulled up. After the injury was examined, doctors suggested that he needed to undergo a surgery and ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Despite his disappointing shows with the bat for the Gujarat Lions, Bravo was in contention for the purple cap last season, having picked up 17 wickets in 15 games. But according to the franchise owner Keshav Bansal, the all-rounder won't be able to train with the squad due to the injury.
"Dwayne Bravo was suffering from a hamstring injury from past few months. We are expecting him to join us in India in 1st week of April. He may miss an initial couple of matches," Bansal told Cricbuzz. The West Indies star hasn't played a competitive game of cricket since his injury and is expected to feature in the second half of the season, only if he recovers soon.
"If his health permits you can see him playing during the second phase of IPL, " Bansal added.
The absence of Bravo could provide an opportunity for James Faulkner to fix his spot in the team, as the Australian featured in only seven games the last campaign. Previously the likes of Kevin Pietersen, JP Duminy and Quinton de Kock also withdrew from the upcoming season of the IPL. Gujarat Lions kick off their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Rajkot on the 7th of April and will be hoping their star bowler makes a comeback soon.
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