Kolkata upbeat about Lynn injury

Hopes raised Lynn may return during IPL season after scans reveal damage to left shoulder 'not as bad as we thought'

Big-hitting batsman Chris Lynn's shoulder injury may not be as bad as first feared and he could yet still feature in the current IPL season.

Lynn injured his left shoulder diving in the outfield during the Kolkata Knight Riders' four-wicket defeat to the Mumbai Indians last week.

There were fears the latest shoulder setback could derail his IPL season. But Lynn is understood to be remaining with the franchise in India and KKR coach Jaques Kallis said MRI scans had revealed the prognosis was better than expected.

"He has gone for his scan. It's not as bad as we thought," Kallis told reporters at Eden Gardens ahead of the Knight Riders' clash with King's XI Punjab.

"Our medical staff is working overtime to see how quickly we can get him ready and if we can get him ready.

"There is a good chance we will play a role for us this season."

The former South Africa allrounder said despite the positive scan results, there was no timeframe for Lynn's return.

"It's still too early to assess. We are not going to rush him," Kallis said.

"When he feels he is ready to play, the medical staff will qualify when there is a possibility of him playing, we will certainly play him when we can."

The news is a boost for Australia's Champions Trophy hopes, with Lynn's explosive hitting potential making him a near-certain squad selection for the mid-year tournament in the UK.

Lynn has an unfortunate history of shoulder problems that continued with the injury against Mumbai.

Lynn had missed the first half of the 2016-17 season after dislocating the same shoulder in Sri Lanka last year, while his recent KFC Big Bash League campaign was cut short due to a neck problem. He also missed the 2015 Matador BBQs One-Day Cup after dislocating his left shoulder.

He had surgery on the same shoulder in the winter of 2014, forcing him to miss the start of the 2014-15 season.

Lynn lamented his injury woes on social media after the match.

Ravichandan Ashwin Can't Play IPL 10

India and Rising Pune Super Giants (RPS) star Ravichandran Ashwin is set to miss the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) owing to sports hernia.

Ashwin, who had undergone scans in Mumbai following the four-match Test series against Australia, is likely to be ruled out for six-eight weeks.

The all-rounder, however, is expected to be back for the ICC Champions Trophy in the summer. Sports hernia is a strain or tear of any soft tissue in the lower abdomen or groin area.

The development will come as a major blow to RPS, who will be aiming for the title after a disappointing debut season in 2016.
Ashwin has been in a prolific run of form with the ball in recent months, playing a key role in India’s home Test season, where the Virat Kohli-led side won 10 of their 13 matches.

The 30-year-old off-spinner has had an unprecedented workload during the season that featured matches against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia.

During the period, Ashwin bowled 738.2 overs - the most ever by a bowler in a Test season - and picked up a record 82 wickets. The duo of Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja claimed 153 wickets at an average of 24.14 to become the most successful bowling pair in a season.

Ashwin first got injured immediately after the Test series against England in December. He soon withdrew from Tamil Nadu’s Ranji Trophy semi-final clash against Karnataka.

In fact, in the first Test of the season, against New Zealand at Kanpur in September last year, Ashwin had bowled despite the pain due to a corn in his middle finger.

Ashwin’s India teammate KL Rahul is also reported to likely miss the tournament, while Murali Vijay’s participation also is rumoured to be doubtful.

On the other hand, India skipper Virat Kohli will miss the initial phase of the tournament due to his shoulder injury, and as per a report in Wisden India, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav will join him on the sidelines for the first few weeks.