Jason Behrendorff's broken leg in a freak training accident has prompted messages of support from his Mumbai Indians IPL team as Australian cricket hopes for a quick return to action for the potential World Cup quick.
The much in-demand franchise bowler, who was Australia's T20I player of the year, reckoned he was "absolutely gutted" after suffering a training ground injury last week that he considered a "freak accident".
With a possible eight-week lay-off after fracturing his fibula, the ever-improving 33-year-old would only be fit to return to action in late May, less than a fortnight before the T20 World Cup begins in the US and the Caribbean.
Behrendorff would likely be only in the final 15-man squad should any problem befall Australia's main left-arm strike bowler Mitchell Starc, but any fitness concerns surrounding him could scupper his faint hopes.
Before that, though, with the IPL about to begin this week, he's definitely going to miss his return to Mumbai, where he became a hugely popular figure last year with his 14 wickets.
"Amidst our solid and positive build-up to 2024, the Mumbai Indians will sadly miss the crucial presence of our Aussie star," Mumbai said on their official website.
"A dedicated cricketer who confidently fronted the Blue and Gold bowling setup in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah last season, coupled with the sheer glimpses of pranks and smiles off the field, we will surely miss having Jason around, and we are with him on his road to recovery!"
The disappointment is evidently mutual, with Behrendorff saying on Instagram: "I have loved being a part of the MI family and I am absolutely gutted to be missing this year's IPL."
The "freak accident", he explained, had happened when he was practising at the WACA Ground. "It wasn't anyone's fault, just a very unlucky incident," he said.
