Mitchell Marsh’s second fling with the Pune franchise ended abruptly after the Australian all-rounder was ruled out of the remainder of the IPL owing to a side strain. The injury has further compounded Rising Pune Supergiants’s fitness woes, with batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Faf du Plessis having already returned home.
Marsh was sidelined for Supergiants’ home game against Gujarat Lions on Friday. While the Pune franchise remained tightlipped over his fitness status, Cricket Australia announced Marsh’s withdrawal in a statement.
“Mitchell experienced some pain over his left abdominal area while batting at a training session with his team Pune in the IPL a few days ago,” Cricket Australia sports science and sports medicine manager Alex Kountouris said. “He missed his team’s next game and the pain has not resolved. He had scans in India that suggest he has a side strain injury, and he will now return home for further assessment and treatment ahead of the tour of the West Indies. Once we have a better understanding of the extent of the injury, we will be able to predict his return-to-play timeframes.”
Marsh, who had also featured for Pune Warriors India, played three games for Supergiants this season. He had been effective more with the ball than with the willow.
