Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has withdrawn his name from the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) because of bio-bubble fatigue. IPL 2021 will begin on April 9 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, Marsh has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) about the decision.

The Orange Army picked Marsh for INR 2 crore in the 2020 auction, but he twisted his ankle in SRH’s season opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Eventually, the Aussie was ruled out of IPL 2020, and West Indies star Jason Holder took his place in the team.

Overall, Marsh has played only 21 IPL games in ten years of his participation. He had previously played for Deccan Chargers, Pune Warriors India and Rising Pune Supergiant.

Mitchell Marsh’s replacement

The report further stated that SRH have roped in a prominent England batsman, who did well in the recently-concluded T20I series against India, as Marsh’s replacement for IPL 2021.

The batsman could be hard-hitting opener Jason Roy, who went unsold in the auction earlier this year and was the fourth-highest run-scorer in India T20Is. He also scored a half-century in the subsequent ODI series.

Roy made his IPL debut in 2017 for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions and was picked by Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) the year after. However, he did not play the last two IPL seasons despite being in the team, citing injury and personal issues. Ahead of the 2021 auction, he was released by Delhi Capitals.