Chris Lynn’s IPL campaign appears in serious doubt after the Queensland and Kolkata Knight Riders batsman suffered yet another shoulder injury when diving in the field against Mumbai Indians on Sunday night.
In what is the third injury to the same shoulder in less than two years, Lynn clutched the joint in obvious pain after attempting to claim an outfield catch to dismiss Jos Buttler. He was attended to by Knight Riders’ physio Andrew Leipus and was later seen with an ice pack strapped to his shoulder.
Following the match, Lynn tweeted “Dear Cricket Gods, did I do something wrong?”, adding further evidence to the likelihood that he will be out of action for some considerable time. Lynn had appeared set for a major impact at the tournament, having opened with a startling innings of 93 not out against Gujarat Lions, followed by a rapid 32 when Knight Riders batted first against Mumbai.
Andrew McShea, the Brisbane Heat general manager, said the Big Bash League club were seeking further information about the extent of the injury to Lynn, who turned 27 on Monday. “We’ll stay in close contact through this initial process as we get an idea of what the extent of the injury is and what the options are for him,” McShea said.
“It’s unfortunate for Chris to sustain another injury to the shoulder that has troubled him in the past. It’s not the sort of birthday you would wish for, and the best wishes of the club and our fans go out to him.”
During the Australian summer, Lynn was a standout player in the BBL and also made his ODI debut for Australia. However it was also a season blighted with injury, with speculation growing that he may soon choose to opt out of playing first-class cricket and purely pursue Twenty20 roles to lengthen his career.
