Adam Zampa ruled out of IPL 2025, replacement named

Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) following a recurrence of a previous shoulder injury.

Zampa featured in SRH’s first two matches of the tournament as an Impact Substitute, returning figures of 1 for 48 and 1 for 46 in two high-scoring encounters — one of which saw a combined total of 528 runs between SRH and Rajasthan Royals.

However, he later experienced soreness in his bowling shoulder, which caused him to miss the following four matches. He has since flown back to Australia for further medical consultation.

The injury is believed to be a recurrence of the issue Zampa dealt with prior to the 2023 ODI World Cup. He had recovered in time to finish as the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament and played a pivotal role in Australia’s title triumph.

Although there was a possibility of Zampa returning to the IPL after a brief period of rest, SRH chose to replace him with Karnataka’s 21-year-old left-handed batter, R. Smaran.

Smaran joins the SRH squad at his base price of INR 30 lakh. Meanwhile, Mumbai batter Mhatre has been signed by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the same amount.

Smaran has played seven first-class matches, scoring over 500 runs at an impressive average of 64.50, including a double century against Punjab. 

In List A cricket, he has accumulated 433 runs in 10 matches at an average of 72.16, including two centuries. In T20s, he has scored 170 runs from six games at a strike rate of 170.

Zampa is now unlikely to return to competitive cricket until Australia’s next T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean, scheduled for late July.

Despite the setback, he remains a crucial component of Australia’s plans for the T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka. The team is set to play 19 bilateral T20Is between July and February in preparation for the tournament.