IPL 2022: The 15th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to kick-off on March 26 with defending champions Chennai Super Kings taking on runner-up Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening game this season. The entire league phase – which consists of 70 games – will be held in the fours stadiums in Mumbai and Pune.
Even before the start of the tournament, however, the franchises have been left in concern as some of their top players have suffered injuries or are recovering from it which has put doubts over their participation in the initial games.
Here are the 5 players who have left their franchise and fans concerned with fitness issues ahead of IPL 2022:
Defending champions CSK were given a huge blow when Deepak Chahar was ruled out for at least more than half of the IPL 2022 with a hamstring tear. Chahar was CSK’s costliest buy at the mega-auction, for 14 crore, and the best powerplay bowler in the IPL since 2018. He suffered the injury during a T20I game against West Indies and is ruled out for six to eight weeks.
Another key CSK player who is doubtful for the early part of the tournament is Ruturaj Gaikwad, last season’s Orange Cap winner. Gaikwad played in a T20I against West Indies and was set to play against Sri Lanka as well, but then missed the entire Sri Lanka series due to a wrist injury. He is at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for further management of his injury.
Star Mumbai Indians batsman Suryakumar Yadav is also reported to miss at least MI’s first game this season on March 27. Suryakumar was the Player of the T20I series against West Indies but was ruled out of the Sri Lanka T20Is after suffering a hairline fracture in his hand while fielding.
Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya, who hasn’t played a single game since the T20 World Cup last year, continues to work on his fitness, especially his back injury issues which has kept him from bowling full tilt for a long time.
Hardik recently was at the NCA for his fitness test and was successful in clearing the yo-yo test. Fans would be hoping to see Pandya bowl and bowl well during the IPL as he eyes a comeback to the national side, but his fitness remains a talking point.
The Lucknow Super Giants are fretting over the recent injury to their express pacer Mark Wood. Wood bowled 17 overs in the Antigua Test during West Indies’ first innings but didn’t come out to bowl in the second innings due to pain in his right elbow, and was then ruled out of the second Test of the series.
Lucknow spent 7.5 crore on the England fast bowler at the mega-auction. However, given his history with injuries and with the T20 World Cup later in the year, Wood may completely pull out of the IPL 2022.
