Dwayne Bravo is not having the best of times in IPL 2020 and neither is his team Chennai Super Kings. After missing CSK’s first few games this year, Bravo finally regained full fitness and made his way into the CSK Playing XI. But on Saturday, Bravo once again sustained an injury that not only put his participation in the rest of the tournament in doubt but also in all probability cost CSK the match against Delhi Capitals.
When DC needed 17 needed off the final over, CSK skipper MS Dhoni could not give the ball to Bravo as per plans, he had to introduce Ravindra Jadeja as the former had gone off the field with a groin injury. As it turned out Axar Patel hit Jadeja for back-to-back sixes and DC won the match with two balls to spare.
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming informed that Bravo might be ruled out for a couple of weeks. “He would have to be reassessed going forward, at this stage, you would imagine that it would take a few days or a couple of weeks,” Fleming said after CSK’s five-wicket loss.
Asked if the unit will look for a replacement if it is indeed a couple of weeks, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan said that is unlikely. “I don’t think a replacement is an option at this stage because if a new person comes in, it will again be about having a quarantine period for him before he can join the rest of the squad. It is unlikely that we will look at a replacement for Bravo if he is out. But firstly we are hoping Bravo isn’t out and the injury isn’t major,” he told ANI.
The decision makes a lot of sense because even if reports on Sunday confirmed he is out for more than a couple of games and CSK request for a replacement, the player can at the earliest be available after their October 25 game against Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Speaking after the game, Dhoni made it clear that he had to pick between Jadeja and Karn Sharma for the final over in Bravo’s absence. “Bravo was not fit, he went out and was really not able to come back. That was the reason we had to bowl (Jadeja). The option was between Karn and Jaddu so I went ahead with Jaddu,” he revealed.
Elaborating on the injury, coach Stephen Fleming said: “Unfortunately Dwayne Bravo got injured so he could not bowl the last over, naturally he is a death bowler, that’s the way our season has been going, we are having challenges thrown at us. Jadeja was not planned to bowl at the death, but with Bravo getting injured, we did not have any other option. We did well to create a situation where it could have worked for us but we have to keep working hard and turn it around.
“He seems to have a right groin injury, obviously it was serious enough to keep him from coming back to the field, he is just really disappointed that he was not able to bowl the final over, that’s pretty much for what he is in the team for. He would have to be reassessed going forward, at this stage, you would imagine that it would take few days or a couple of weeks.”
(With ANI inputs)
Source: IPLT20.com