IPL 2017: Ashish Nehra Unavailable For Mumbai Indians Fixture Due To Hamstring Niggle
May 7, 2017 at 5:35 PM
A hamstring trouble has ruled out Ashish Nehra of the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s upcoming fixture against Mumbai Indians, team mentor VVS Laxman revealed on Sunday. The match is scheduled to take place on May 8th in Hyderabad.
Doubts over the veteran pacer’s availability were raised after he pulled up his hamstring while bowling his second over against Rising Pune Supergiant on Saturday and had to stay away from the field for the entire match.
“Tomorrow the physio is going to take him for a scan. Then we’ll know the extent of the injury and what’s the future course for him. But yesterday he felt stiffness and pull in the hamstring,” Laxman said on Sunday (May 7).
It was refreshing to see Nehra come back to the Playing XI after resting some time due to the fitness troubles. This season, he has played only six matches out of 12 fixtures which SRH has played so far.
Now, his absence against Mumbai Indians will cause great problems for the SRH, as the team currently is fighting it out for a top two finish in the points table. It is, however, hoped that he would be playing later on. It is understood that the recent injury is different from the one for which he underwent surgery last year.
“It’s not the hamstring which he got operated last year. This is a different injury,” Laxman stated. Between going for scans on May 8 and SRH’s last league-stage clash against Gujarat Lions (on May 13), Nehra has five days to recover and find his way back into the playing XI, provided his injury is a minor one.
Mohammad Siraj, the young right arm fast bowler, who has been playing in place of Nehra, will most likely come in as his replacement. He has already gained the experience with a handful of matches under his belt this season. Armed with good pace and a solid yorker, Siraj has earned the trust of his skipper David Warner who has lauded his efforts from time to time.
“He’s amazing. I see him (to be) similar, not in action, to Bumrah, but in quality in death, (with) new ball and pace. I think Siraj is a good find for us. He’s played well, I think he had a good domestic season and he’s learning on the go – that’s one thing I am really pleased about,” David Warner had said a few days ago.
After losing a crucial game against Rising Pune Supergiant, SRH now stands in a position where they need two wins out of two to ensure their current rival Kings XI Punjab do not go ahead.