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Australian cricketers Mitchell Johnson and Shaun Marsh have returned home and will take no further part in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season. The duo have failed to recapture their form from previous seasons as the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) find themselves at the bottom of the league table.
Johnson, who had a stellar 18 months prior to the start of this season’s IPL, has taken just 9 wickets in the 9 matches he has played in, at an average of 37.33. His economy rate of 9.37 is one of the worst in the tournament as the left-arm pacer has struggled to carry on his form from the World Cup.
Marsh, on the other hand, could manage just 81 runs with the bat from 4 games. He began the tournament in style, scoring 65 against the Rajasthan Royals as the Punjab-based franchise registered a rare win. But three consecutive failures since have seen him dropped from the playing XI.
KXIP released a statement, which stated: “Two of our players Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Johnson have been granted permission to return home at their request for preparation of the upcoming West Indies Tour. While both the players have been of great significance to the team and contributed immensely, we respect our players’ decisions. We have a fine line-up in place and are hopeful of a good performance in the upcoming matches.”
The Australians have a busy schedule ahead of themselves, having just come off a summer-long series against India and a victorious World Cup campaign. Johnson and Marsh flying back home could be a result of the fear of burnout before the Ashes, which will commence in less than two months’ time.
The other Australian players in the Kings XI squad – captain George Baily and Glenn Maxwell – have stayed back and are expected to take part in the rest of the competition.
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