Sunrisers Star Player Contracts COVID-19, to Miss Today's Match Against Lucknow

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), already out of the playoff race, has suffered an unexpected setback. The team's opening batsman Travis Head has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss Monday's match against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). SRH head coach Daniel Vettori confirmed this development.

Daniel Vettori stated that due to the infection, Travis Head's arrival in India has been delayed, as he was unable to travel after contracting the virus. However, Vettori did not disclose when or where Head contracted COVID-19. He added that Head was expected to arrive in India by Monday morning, after which medical personnel would assess his condition.

Meanwhile, due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian Premier League (IPL) was postponed by a week. During this break, Travis Head and captain Pat Cummins traveled back to Australia. There were doubts over whether both players would return to participate in the remaining IPL matches before the World Test Championship (WTC) final scheduled for June 11. However, the Sunrisers Hyderabad management has confirmed that both Head and Cummins will return to India for the remaining matches.

It is already known that Sunrisers Hyderabad is out of the playoff contention. The team is scheduled to play its final group stage match on May 25. Three matches remain for SRH in this season: against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Travis Head has scored 281 runs in 11 matches this IPL season. In comparison, he scored 567 runs in 15 matches last season. This year, however, he has not been able to replicate his previous form.