Injured Delhi IPL cricketers sent to Lanka for treatment

The Delhi Daredevils, initially among the favourites to win the ongoing Indian Premier League 3 tournament, find themselves nearly at the bottom of the table with three subsequent defeats. Injuries to Captain Gautam Gambhir and key paceman Ashish Mehra have forced the owners GMR Sports to rush them to Sri Lanka for ayurvedic treatment.

This was done on the advice of team mate and Sri Lanka player Tillakaratne Dilshan. A prolific run-getter, Dilshan has been struggling in the 20:20 matches, resulting in the Daredevils being placed in the sixth spot in the rankings out of eight teams. Daredevils have crashed to their third defeat from as many as five outings, the latest defeat to Deccan Chargers in Cuttack on Sunday by 10 runs. Virender Sehwag got out cheaply, and Dilshan did not play.

"Both Gambhir and Mehra have gone to Sri Lanka for treatment. The doctor has treated many Indian cricketers before. We are not rushing things but if a player is injured, it's our duty to take care of him. When Dilshan suggested the doctor's name, Srinivas Bommibala, the chairman (GMR sports) immediately okayed the proposal and within hours a special flight was arranged to take the cricketers to Lanka," PB Vanchi, the GMR sports division director, said on Saturday.

Gambhir suffered a hamstring injury during Delhi's first home game against Mumbai Indians last Wednesday. Nehra is nursing a rib injury he picked up during training in Mohali before the team's first IPL game and is believed to be on the verge of complete recovery.

The cricketers are expected to be back either on March 23 or 24. "Our team is under no pressure after two defeats. We know that we have a good team, and some other foreign recruits are joining the team soon. So we are ready for the challenge ahead of us," Vanchi added.

- Asian Tribune -