IPL 2025: Travis Head's return to India delayed due to Covid-19, set to miss Lucknow Super Giants clash

IPL 2025: Travis Head's return to India delayed due to Covid-19, set to miss Lucknow Super Giants clash (BCCI Photo)

Three teams (RCB, GT, PBKS) have qualified for the IPL 2025 playoffs, while four teams (KKR, SRH, RR, CSK) are already eliminated. DC, who endured a crushing 10-wicket loss against GT, are alive along with LSG and MI in a three-way playoffs battle. All three can no longer afford any hiccups and right before LSG's must-win tie against SRH, the Rishabh Pant-led unit received a massive boost.

SRH head coach Daniel Vettori informed that the Orange Army will be without the services of explosive opener Travis Head when they lock horns with LSG at the Ekana Stadium on Monday evening. Vettori confirmed the development in the pre-match press conference held on Sunday, and informed Head will be joining the team on the morning of the match day. The coach Covid-19 as the reason behind the delay, but it is yet to be ascertain if the Aussie has tested positive for the virus.

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“Travis is coming in tomorrow morning, he was delayed. He actually had COVID, so he couldn’t travel, so he’ll get in tomorrow morning and we’ll assess how he is after that,” Vettori told reporters.

Head has not been in the best of form in the ongoing edition, where he managed 281 runs from 11 encounters at an average of just over 28. Meanwhile, SRH as a unit too failed to fire despite assembling some of the powerful hitters in their ranks. The team lie eighth on the points table, managing three wins in eleven matches. That could have been four but rain played major spoilsport in their match against DC and both teams had to share spoils. SRH then had restricted DC to 133/7 in 20 overs but rain prevented the run chase from even getting started. The outcome also saw SRH get eliminated from the playoffs race.

The franchise now have two more league stage matches apart from the one against LSG. The Orange Army will then meet RCB (May 23) and then KKR (May 25).