Star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC). His team San Francisco Unicorns has already confirmed the development, stating that the off-spinner suffered an injury to his right knee. Notably, it is a massive blow to the side, who are currently at the top of the table and will enter the business end of the tournament without one of their star players.
In the meantime, the franchise has confirmed that Australian seamer Peter Siddle will replace Ashwin in the squad. The veteran has already featured for the Unicorns this season while standing in for Xavier Bartlett and Aaron Hardie, producing encouraging performances with the ball during that period.
Ashwin’s exit comes after a limited on-field role in this year’s competition. The former India international appeared in only one match, against Texas Super Kings in Dallas on June 20, finishing with figures of 0 for 24 from two overs.
โI’m disappointed to end the season early, but unfortunately, this injury means that’s the right decision. I’ve truly loved my time with the San Francisco Unicorns and will be cheering the boys on for the rest of the tournament. Thank you to my team-mates, the coaching staff, everyone across the San Francisco Unicorns organisation, and all the Unicorns fans for your incredible support,โ Ashwin said in a statement released by the franchise.ย
With Ashwin unavailable, San Francisco have continued to rely on a spin unit led by captain Matt Short, who has emerged as the team’s leading wicket-taker this season. He has shared the bowling responsibilities with rookie wrist-spinner Anirudh Immanuel and left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Hassan Khan.
The Unicorns remain in a strong position despite Ashwin’s absence from most of the campaign. They currently occupy first place on the points table after registering five victories in their opening eight matches.
Whatโs next for Ashwin?
For Ashwin, attention is now expected to shift toward his next cricketing commitment later this year. He is set to captain and mentor Dublin Guardians in the inaugural edition of the European T20 Premier League. The six-team tournament is scheduled to be held across Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands from August 26 to September 20.
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