Mandeep Singh’s hopes of returning to action for India A has ended due to a back injury. The right-handed batsman, who was recovering from the injury at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, was set to undergo a fitness test before flying to South Africa for the series. However, his hopes dashed after the pain resurfaced.
The 25-year old, who was last seen in action during the Indian Premier League, had experienced the pain in his back towards the end of the tournament and a subsequent MRI scan had revealed a disc prolapse in his lower back. But despite the serious pain, the Punjab-born batsman decided not to go under the knife and instead chose to rest and undergo rehabilitation. Team India physiotherapist Patrick Farhat also felt the same and the player went to the NCA for to recover. However, the batsman has now paid the price for it as the pain has resurfaced, ruling him out of the series.
Mandeep himself confirmed the news. He was named in India A’s squad for the tri-series featuring Afghanistan A and South Africa A. Australia A was initially supposed to participate in the series but pulled out due to the ongoing pay disputes between the Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketer’s Association (ACA).
“It is disappointing to lose out. I was at rehab at the NCA and was feeling better. I played a practice game and then the pain intensified,” he said.
Earlier this month, Mandeep had said he was feeling very upset with the injury which followed his dismal outing in the IPL where he managed just 188 runs in 11 matches.
“The word surgery rang alarm bells. I was already upset with the IPL performance and the niggling pain in the back made me more upset. I never felt so low in my career. I underwent a mid-career crisis in a way. When I came to the NCA, I was told the back could be treated with rest and strengthening. Knowing this, my motivation came back,” he had told Hindustan Times.