Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson and batsman Shaun Marsh have been granted permission by their IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab to return home after Monday’s match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. According to Kings XI coach Sanjay Bangar, the two players made the request so that they could travel with the Australian squad for the series in the West Indies in June.
Johnson and Marsh will miss Kings XI’s last two games, against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings, in Mohali on May 13 and 16.
“While both the players have been of great significance to the team and contributed immensely, we respect our players’ decisions,” Kings XI said in a release. “We have a fine line up in place and are hopeful of a good performance in the upcoming matches.”Having finished runners-up the previous IPL season, Kings XI were the first team to be eliminated from the running for the playoffs this year, having won only two of their first 11 games. Though Bangar had not singled out anyone as responsible for his team’s failures, the poor performances from the overseas contingent of George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Marsh and Johnson hurt the team severely.
Marsh played only four games this season, and 65 of his 81 runs came in one innings against Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad, a match Kings XI won via a one-over eliminator after the match was tied.
Johnson’s failures were more pronounced. He took only nine wickets in nine matches and had an economy rate of 9.37 per over, a performance that was at odds with his billing as one of the best fast bowlers in the world.
