MUMBAI, (Reuters) – India’s bumper 13-test home season has taken a big toll on its players with a host of them set to miss at least part of the Indian Premier League with injuries.
Royal Challengers Bangalore will be without captain Virat Kohli for at least the initial phase of the Twenty20 tournament as the India skipper recovers from a shoulder injury that forced him to miss the series-sealing final test win over Australia in Dharamsala.
“His recovery will be assessed in the second week of April to determine an exact return to play date for IPL 2017,” the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said in a statement.
South African AB de Villiers will lead the side in Kohli’s absence.
Bangalore, who have already lost Australia paceman Mitchell Starc to injury, will also be without Lokesh Rahul for the entire tournament, with the India opener likely to undergo surgery on his left shoulder.
Rahul’s India opening partner Murali Vijay, who plays for Kings XI Punjab, will undergo wrist surgery and is expected to miss the April 5-May 21 tournament.
India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will sit out the entire campaign for Rising Pune Supergiant as he recovers from groin pain, the BCCI said.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and paceman Umesh Yadav will both miss the start of the tournament for Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders respectively.
Jadeja has problems with his spinning finger, while fast bowler Yadav has right hip and lower back soreness.
A number of India’s test cricketers played through pain during the home season which included a 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand and a 4-0 defeat of England in a five-match series.
India also beat Bangladesh in a one-off test before a 2-1 victory in a hard-fought four-test series against Australia.
