Injured Ashwin, Rahul pull out of IPL

Gujarat Lions’ Ravindra Jadeja is doubtful for the first few matches.

While Rahul is nursing a shoulder injury, Ashwin won’t play due to sports hernia.

Ashwin is likely to be out of action for six to eight weeks, but is expected to regain full fitness ahead of India’s title defence at the Champions Trophy in June. Sports hernia is a strain or tear of any soft tissue in the lower abdomen or groin area.

The 30-year-old off-spinner has had an unprecedented workload during India’s marathon home season that featured 13 Test 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 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.

The 24-year-old Rahul, who will travel to London for a surgery, had hurt his left shoulder five weeks ago, in the first Test against Australia at Pune, but continued to play through pain for the rest of the series.

Rahul’s IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore had been kept in the loop and were prepared for his injury-enforced exit from the tournament.

During the second Test in Bengaluru, when he made two match-winning fifties, Rahul spoke about how the injury restricted him from playing extravagant strokes.

Overall, with six half-centuries from seven innings, he finished the third-highest scorer on either side with a tally of 393.