Glenn Phillips has left the Gujarat Titans team. While the exact circumstances surrounding his sudden departure remain unclear, it is understood that the New Zealand all-rounder has suffered a groin injury.
The 28-year-old dynamic all-rounder, one of New Zealand's star performers in the Champions Trophy - where they finished runners-up to India - was a straightforward pick for the franchise, which acquired him at his base price of Rs INR 2 crore at the auction.
With his athleticism and acrobatic skills, the New Zealander pulled off some stunning catches during the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and Dubai. It is understood that he sustained an injury during Gujarat Titans' away match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 6.
Phillips has not featured in any of the Titans' matches this season. It remains unclear whether the franchise will seek an immediate replacement. With Shubman Gill's side set to play another away fixture - against Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday (April 12) afternoon - franchise officials were not immediately available for comment.
However, after Cricbuzz broke the story, Titans released a statement saying, "Glenn Phillips has returned to New Zealand following a groin injury he sustained during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 6. Gujarat Titans wish Glenn a speedy recovery."
Phillips is the second overseas player from the Titans camp to be unavailable. Kagiso Rabada returned to South Africa to attend to a personal emergency, and there is no immediate update yet on when he will rejoin the squad.
As of now, the Titans have only five overseas players in their roster - Jos Buttler, Sherfane Rutherford, Rashid Khan, Gerald Coetzee, and Karim Janat. Each franchise is permitted a total of eight foreign players.
Titans, the champions of the 2023 season, are currently on top of the IPL points table with four wins and eight points from five games. The only match they have lost this year was the season opener against Punjab Kings at home in Ahmedabad on March 25. Since then, they have had four back-to-back wins, against Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, SunRisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.
