Injured Hopes doubtful for Twenty20 World Cup, IPL stint

Sydney, Mar 19(ANI): Australian all rounder James Hopes is likely to miss the Twenty20 World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL) after he sustained a calf muscle injury in the Sheffield Shield final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Hopes suffered the injury when he took off for a run early in his innings against Victoria on Thursday.

The 31-year-old, however, is hoping to make it to the national squad for the world championship, and said: "I've done it pretty good so I'm looking at four weeks (out)."

The injury means that he is certain to miss the IPL, where he has a 300,000 dollar contract with Kings XI Punjab.

"I was pushing to be in the Twenty20 World Cup squad and if I could have gone over there (India) after this game and played some Twenty20 games over there and done OK my case may have been stronger to be included in that team." The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Hopes, as saying.

"Now I'm hoping to be included in that team on the back of probably no Twenty20 cricket, which is a bit disappointing," he added.

The 31-year-old had also missed last year's IPL because he was rested by Cricket Australia with a bout of knee tendonitis. (ANI)