Why won’t Jason Behrendorff of the Mumbai Indians participate in the IPL in 2024? Learn more here

When the Mumbai Indians announced the substitution of fast bowler Jason Behrendorff on Monday evening, March 18, it caught everyone off guard. Behrendorff, who was one of the players from the previous season who was kept on, will be replaced by Luke Wood. The latter was aiming to sneak into the T20 World Cup team with a strong performance in the lucrative league. He had earned Australia’s T20I player of the year 2023 award for his outstanding performance at the international level.

However, the left-arm fast bowler will be out for eight weeks due to an unusual ailment. It’s interesting to note that the ball struck him a little above the ankle while he was batting. Despite not needing surgery, Behrendorff’s bizarre training mishap last week resulted in a broken left fibula, which will keep him out of action for a few months.

The Mumbai Indians, who struggled mightily with the ball last season despite Jason Behrendorff’s 14 wickets in 12 games, are also dealt a serious blow. Returning to cricket, his chances of competing in the T20 World Cup have also all but vanished as of right now. His focus will now be on getting well in time for the T20 Blast, which kicks off on May 31.

Behrendorff was being considered as Mitchell Starc’s backup, but he will probably go down the ladder now. MI will be hoping that, if given the opportunity, left-arm pacer Luke Wood does very well for them. Wood, who has taken 147 wickets in 140 T20 outings, is coming off a respectable performance in previous T20 competitions. Additionally, he has so far participated in five T20Is for England.