CLT20 2014: Rohit Sharma to miss the tournament with injury

Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indians’ defence of their Champions League T20 crown suffered a heavy blow after their skipper Rohit Sharma was ruled out of the tournament owing to a shoulder problem in addition to the sustained middle finger fracture on his right hand.

While the batsman picked up the finger injury while fielding at short mid-wicket in the second ODI of the 5-match series at Cardiff, the physiotherapists at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore have diagnosed the Mumbai cricketer with a problematic shoulder, reports ESPNcricinfo.

The 27-year-old will be a big miss for his side as it was Rohit who steadied a sinking ship in IPL 2013 and led them to their much awaited maiden IPL crown. He also led the Mukesh Ambani-owned franchise to CLT20 glory later that year.

Mumbai Indians are now in a situation to name a replacement captain with just three days to go for their first qualifier. Keiron Pollard of the West Indies is the front-runner for the role after his successful captaincy stint with Barbados Tridents earlier in the year.

Harbhajan Singh, under whom the IPL side won the CLT20 in 2011, and Lasith Malinga, the World T20 winning skipper from Sri Lanka and also the captain of their domestic T20 champions Southern Express, are the other contenders for the top spot.

The Indian LOI opener is expected to start his rehabilitation programme at NCA later in the week and is targetting a return to cricket in the home series against the West Indies in the month of October.