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'Headache' For LSG Before IPL 2024 As Australia's Marcus Stoinis Ruled Out Of NZ T20Is

image-lspptmwbMarcus Stoinis [X.com]

Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand. The experienced Australian allrounder is sidelined with a back injury for the last set of T20Is for 2021 champions ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 in June. 

Stoinis is understood to have hurt his back in the warm-up ahead of the second T20I against the West Indies in Adelaide last Sunday (February 11). Despite the injury, the player featured in the clash and struck a cameo worth 16 runs off 5 balls before delivering a spell of 3 for 36 in Australia's win.

However, after boarding the long flight to Perth, the cricketer missed Tuesday's series finale in Western Australia and has now been ruled out of the New Zealand T20Is entirely as the team management and selectors give the white-ball specialist an extra few weeks to fully recover ahead of the IPL 2024 and the T20 World Cup.

Hardie Replaces Stoinis, Wade To Miss Opening Game 

In Stoinis' absence, the selectors have called up backup allrounder Aaron Hardie, who is currently busy with Sheffield Shield duties for Western Australia against Tasmania and did not travel with the team on Saturday (February 17) but will be available to join the touring party by Sunday.

Experienced wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade is set to miss the opening T20I scheduled against the BlackCaps on February 21 in Wellington due to the impending birth of the third child. Wade, however, is expected to join the squad in time for the pair of T20Is in Auckland on February 23 and 25.

Dropped from the One-Day outfit since the ICC World Cup 2023, Stoinis is key to Australia's T20I plans ahead of the T20 World Cup as the selectors remain wary of the workload taken by fellow utility allrounders Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell in the first XI.

The 34-year-old has featured in 59 T20Is for Australia and scored his runs at a strike rate of 145.06 while going for a handy fifth-bowling option economy rate of 8.64.