 "All-rounder Mitchell Marsh as well as the pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and skipper Pat Cummins had missed Australia's Champions Trophy campaign due to injuries and workload management. Image credit: BCCI/Reuters")
Australia captain Pat Cummins and his pace colleagues Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are expected to play their first white-ball matches this year in the upcoming Indian Premier League and be available for the entire season after skipping the Champions Trophy. Cummins’ availability was particularly crucial for the Sunrisers Hyderabad as the 31-year-old had led them to the final last year and is central to their quest for a second IPL title.
Also returning to action is Mitchell Marsh, who has not played any form of competitive cricket since the first week of January, skipping the Champions Trophy due to “lower back pain and dysfunction”. The pace-bowling all-rounder’s return however, comes with a disclaimer – he will be available purely as a batter for Lucknow Super Giants, the franchise that bought him for Rs 3.4 crore in the IPL mega auction in November.
Marsh expected to join LSG squad on 18 March, to play as ‘Impact Player’
According to ESPNCricinfo, Marsh is set to travel to India early next week and is expected to link up with the Rishabh Pant-led LSG squad on 18 March – four days before the season gets underway and nearly a week before the team’s opening fixture, against Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam on 24 March. Due to his inability to bowl, Marsh – who leads Australia in the shortest format – is expected to play as an ‘Impact Player’ at the top of the order.
The Super Giants will be Marsh’s fifth franchise in the IPL; he has previously represented Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad and has also been part of defunct franchises Deccan Chargers, Pune Warriors India and Rising Pune Supergiant.
His last appearance in any form of competitive cricket was in the Big Bash League, featuring in Perth Scorchers’ home game against Melbourne Renegades in which he was dismissed for a golden duck and did not bowl.
Cummins and Hazlewood are returning to action for the first time since the marquee five-Test series against India at home, which Australia won 3-1 to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Starc would later travel to Sri Lanka, where took part in the Test series that the Steve Smith-led Australian ended up sweeping 2-0, and hasn’t taken part in any form of the game since.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsWhile pace trio and Marsh had missed the Champions Trophy due to injury, seam-bowling all-rounder Marcus Stoinis took the Australian cricketing community by surprise by announcing his retirement from ODIs – after he was included in the provisional squad.
Starc, additionally, will be making his debut for Delhi Capitals this year after being part of the title-winning Kolkata Knight Riders team led by Shreyas Iyer last season. Hazlewood, meanwhile, is set to return to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the franchise that he had represented in 2022 and 2023.