With less than a fortnight remaining before the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League gets underway, last year’s table-toppers Gujarat Lions have suffered a huge blow as their star all-rounder Dwayne Bravo will miss the initial couple of matches due to a hamstring injury.

The news was confirmed by franchise owner Keshav Bansal.

“Dwayne Bravo was suffering from hamstring injury from past few months. We are expecting him to join us in India in 1st week of April. He may miss the initial couple of matches,” Bansal told Cricbuzz.

An integral part of the Gujarat-based outfit, Bravo played a vital role in helping the team finish the group stage of the tournament at the top of the table in their debut season last year. The West Indies star did not contribute much with the bat but played his part with the ball by taking 17 wickets in 15 outings at an average of just over 29.

The 33-year old suffered the hamstring injury in December last year during the Big Bash League in Australia. He underwent surgery in January but has still not recovered fully.

Meanwhile, Bravo’s absence could pave the way for Australian all-rounder James Faulkner to cement his spot in the team. A brilliant all-rounder in the shortest format of the game, Faulkner could play only 7 games last year as Bravo was in supreme form with the ball.

Gujarat Lions will begin their season against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 7 in Rajkot.