Billy Stanlake ruled out of IPL 2018

After a great start to their IPL campaign, Sunrisers Hyderabad have been hit by a body blow as star bowler Billy Stanlake has been ruled out of the competition after a fractured finger.

Stanlake has been superb for the ‘Orange Army’, and will be missed greatly by the franchise. The fastest bowler in the competition so far, Stanlake has been a huge hit in Hyderabad and was in contention for the ‘Purple Cap’.

But his injury will come as a big blow to Kane Williamson’s side, as they will be looking to now find a suitable replacement for the remainder of the season.

The news broke just a few minutes before Sunrisers faced MI in Mumbai, as the defending champions knew that they had to win today at all costs.

Mumbai have started poorly this year, as their batting and bowling have not collectively clicked this season. While the likes of Lewis, Rohit, Bumrah and Mustafizur have had some decent performances, Mumbai will want their stars to perform together if they want to pick up some points.

Then again, this is not new for Mumbai, as they have notoriously been slow starters in the IPL. While they have come back from even more precarious situations to qualify for the playoffs, Rohit Sharma and team will hope things will not become so desperate so soon.

Sunrisers though will now concentrate on getting a replacement for Stanlake, as they will need to quickly find someone who will fit in and find his groove in the competition.