In a big blow for the Gujarat Lions, skipper Suresh Raina confirmed that West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has been ruled out of this edition of the Indian Premier League.
“No Dwayne Bravo. He’s been doing proper rehab and it might take three-four weeks, so he might be out of the tournament. So now we have to talk to the management and think about a replacement,” Raina said during the toss, ahead of the home game against Kings XI Punjab.
Bravo is yet to recover from his left hamstring surgery after sustaining an injury during the Big Bash League in Australia. Bravo suffered the injury while fielding for Melbourne Renegades against Perth Scorchers on December 29.
“It is with deep regret that I announce my decision to withdraw from the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League, owing to my hamstring injury,” Bravo said in a statement.
“I have been with the Gujarat Lions squad since the beginning of their IPL 2017 campaign, undergoing my rehab on the sidelines, in the hope of returning to the cricket field in the second half of the tournament. While recovery is going well and I have made vast improvement and have participated in team training with the Lions, my body is not ready to perform at its fullest potential.”
Gujarat was expecting him to be fully fit in the later part of the tournament and he was travelling with the team while undergoing rehabilitation. “I have the deepest respect for the calibre of players and sportsmanship at the IPL and undoubtedly have the love and support of the best sports fans in the world. It is for them that I perform at my best every time I go on to the pitch,” said Bravo. “Unfortunately, I am simply not able to perform at my best which is what my team, fellow cricketers and fans deserve. I sincerely apologise to my Gujarat Lions teammates, franchise owners and my fans for this disappointment. I, too, am deeply saddened and disappointed, particularly because I know how much my fans were looking forward to my return.”
The Lions are currently at the bottom of the table. In 2016, the new team had finished on top of the league with nine wins in 14 games, but did not make the final. And with Bravo out of the picture, Gujarat are in a bad shape. However, Bravo wished the team well. “This is one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my career but I do believe withdrawal from this season of the IPL will allow me to perform at my best later on in the year. Many people played a part in the road to recovery and I sincerely thank the owners, management and medical staff of the Gujarat Lions for their unwavering support and commitment. I wish the Gujarat Lions team all the very best for the remainder of the campaign. I thank everyone for the love and encouragement and look forward to returning to the pitch,” said Bravo.