IPL campaign ends for Punjab's Maxwell

The hard-hitting 27-year-old becomes the fifth Australia player to leave the Indian Twenty20 tournament early following the departures of captain Steve Smith, John Hastings and Mitchell and Shaun Marsh

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has suffered a side strain in the Indian Premier League and will head home to recover before the West Indies tour, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday.

Maxwell had "increasing soreness in his left abdomen area" after playing for Kings XI Punjab, CA said in a statement.

“From the information we have so far, the injury doesn’t appear to be something that will prevent Glenn from participating in this tour,  but we are keen to give him the necessary time to recover before departing to the West Indies at the end of this month,” a CA physiotherapist said.

The hard-hitting 27-year-old becomes the fifth Australia player to leave the Indian Twenty20 tournament early following the departures of captain Steve Smith, John Hastings and Mitchell and Shaun Marsh.

Maxwell had scored two half-centuries this season, with a highest score of 68, but averaged less than 20 in his 11 matches. He scored 179 runs at 19.88 but had a strike rate of 144.35.

Kings XI have won only four of their 12 matches and are out of play-off contention. 

But Australia coach Darren Lehmann reiterated earlier this year that players wouldn't be ordered to miss games haphazardly. 

"We'll pick the side to win every series as we normally do," Lehmann was quoted as saying by Cricket Australia website.

Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), George Bailey, Scott Boland, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa. 

Image: Glen Maxwell

Photograph: BCCI