Ravichandran Ashwin has been ruled out of the rest of the Major League Cricket (MLC) season due to a right knee injury, and the San Francisco Unicorns have named former Australian pacer Peter Siddle as his replacement.
Ashwin's highly anticipated stint grabbed headlines as he became the first Indian cricketer of his legendary, all-format stature to feature in an overseas T20 franchise league following his retirement from international and Indian cricket.
His signing was considered a massive marketing and competitive triumph for MLC's expansion plans in the United States.
The veteran off-spinner was only able to make a single appearance for the San Francisco Unicorns before sustaining the injury. His solitary match came against the Texas Super Kings, where he returned with the figures of 0/24 in two overs.
“I’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 teammates, the coaching staff, everyone across the San Francisco Unicorns organization, and all the Unicorns fans for your incredible support,” Ashwin said in a statement issued by San Francisco Unicorns.
Graham Manou, General Manager of Cricket Performance for the San Francisco Unicorns, said: “Losing a player of Ashwin’s quality and stature to a mid-season injury is naturally disappointing. Beyond his performances on the field, he has been an outstanding professional and a tremendous leader within our group. Ashwin has had a real impact on our entire team, and we wish him every success with his recovery."
Siddle has been approved as Ashwin’s replacement for the remainder of the tournament, having already impressed in the opening games of the tournament as cover for Xavier Bartlett and Aaron Hardie.
Siddle is one of Australia’s most accomplished fast bowlers of the modern era, having represented his country across all three international formats while claiming 221 Test wickets in 67 matches. He also brings extensive franchise T20 experience from competitions around the world.
