Porel returns home after sustaining hamstring injury

Promising Bengal fast bowler Ishan Porel's saga of injuries continued as he has been sent back home from Australia after sustaining a hamstring injury during a net session. "Ishan Porel has a hamstring injury and is already back in India for the past few days. It's a hamstring injury but the degree of it can only be assessed once he goes to the NCA for assessment," a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

With Thangarasu Natarajan already in the main squad, India's pure net bowling options have been reduced to only one with Uttar Pradesh speedster Kartik Tyagi helping out the batsmen. Originally, Porel, Tyagi, Natarajan and Kamlesh Nagarkoti were named as net bowlers but the last one had to be pulled out even before the team left for Australia due to his frail body needing workload management.

Porel, who was with the Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, didn't get to play a game but his red ball performance in Ranji and Duleep Trophy along with impressive A tour of New Zealand last season prompted his selection as one of the four net bowlers.

Earlier, Porel had a lengthy injury break after U-19 World Cup in 2018 but came back well during the last domestic season. "If it's a grade 1 tear, there is every chance that Porel will miss the Mushtaq Ali Trophy which is not great news for Bengal. We will now have to wait and see how his rehabilitation goes in Bengaluru. Hope he is not out for too long," the source added.