XtraTime Web Desk: Two time Indian Premier League champion Kolkata Knight Riders faced a huge blow ahead of season 11 after their star fast bowler Mitchell Starc has been ruled of IPL 11 due to a tibial bone stress fracture in his right leg.
Starc was replaced for the final Test against South Africa by South Australia’s Chadd Sayers and will fly home after the series for further injury investigation and assessment.
The left-armer was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for $1.8 million (9.4 Crore rupees) at the IPL auction in January, but will not take place in the lucrative tournament this.
“Mitchell Starc has a ‘tibial bone stress in his right leg’. He will return home for further assessment after the Test and will miss the IPL,” Cricket Australia announced on Twitter.
BREAKING: Mitchell Starc has a ‘tibial bone stress in his right leg’.
He will return home for further assessment after the Test and will miss the IPL.
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) March 30, 2018
The two-time champions will be in big jeopardy as they were heavily relying on Starc for their third title. It will be an wonder how the franchise will fair with injury prone Aussie opener Chris Lynn, suspect Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, who was out of cricket for a year.