The third edition of the Indian Premier League is very well getting itself christened as the Injured Players League or the Injury Prone League. With the tournament heading its halfway mark, it is not just the action-packed excitement of the game that is making all the news but also the not-so-welcome trend of injuries to the players that is attracting the headlines.
Almost all the teams have faced the same fate as far as the injuries to the players are concerned with Rajasthan Royals and the Delhi Daredevils being the worst hit teams. Here’s a quick look at the list of injured players in the season three of the IPL so far-
Gautam Gambhir: The Delhi Daredevils received a major setback when its skipper Gautam Gambhir managed a reasonably serious hamstring injury while fielding during the match against the Mumbai Indians on March 17 which forced him to stay out of the IPL action.
Wayne Parnell: The South African fast bowler Wayne Parnell, representing the Delhi Daredevils, got ruled out of the IPL after having sustained a groin injury during a warm-up session and had to return home without playing a single game.
Graeme Smith: It came as a twin blow for the Rajasthan Royals when two of its key players Graeme Smith and Dimitri Mascarenhas got injured during their clash against Delhi Daredevils in Ahmedabad on March 15. The South African captain fractured his right middle finger while diving to take a brilliant catch of Virender Sehwag which brought to an end his IPL campaign.
Dimitri Mascarenhas: The English all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas incurred an ankle injury while getting back into the crease in time during the Royals’ innings in the Ahemdabad encounter. He is ruled out of the entire IPL action.
Yusuf Pathan: Yusuf Pathan, too, picked a niggle during the match against the Delhi Daredevils but recovered well in time to come out with some of the most dangerous knocks in the following encounters.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: The Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni received a blow on his arm by a rising delivery from Shane Bond during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 16 which resulted in an injury that left him out of field for ten days. The skipper after taking rest in his hometown Ranchi joined his team back for the match against Mumbai Indians on March 26.
Justin Kemp: Another injury worry came for the Chennai Super Kings when the South African all-rounder Justin Kemp surfaced back problem during the clash against Kings XI Punjab which forced him to leave the field after bowling just one ball and not batting at all in that match.
Brett Lee: Brett Lee of Kings XI Punjab was ruled out of the initial phase of the IPL even before the tournament begun as his elbow injury was troubling him. He made a comeback to the side on March 27 against the clash with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Ashish Nehra: The Delhi Daredevils pacer Ashish Nehra sustained a rib injury during a training session at Mohali before the IPL tournament got started.
VVS Laxman: For the Deccan Chargers it was VVS Laxman who brought in the news of injury during the Deccan Chargers game against the Kings XI Punjab at Cuttack when he got his left hand injured by a throw made by Shalabh Srivastava who was trying to aim at the stumps, instead made the hit at Laxman on his hand.
Ambati Rayudu: Ambati Rayudu of the Mumbai Indians picked an elbow injury as he attempted to take a catch of Jacques Kallis in the game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mumbai.
Chris Gayle: The West Indian captain Chris Gayle, playing for the Kolkata team, fell ill before starting off the tournament against Mumbai which made him miss the clash against the Rajasthan Royals.
Though it is argued that injuries are a part of the game, yet time and again the hectic schedules of the IPL have been blamed for the players fatigue and injuries. The going down of players one game after another is surely a cause of concern for their franchise teams. But the single most important fact that cannot be ignored is that such injuries can affect the availability and performances of the individuals as they go on to represent their countries in the forthcoming T20 World Cup.
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