Injured Harris flies home from IPL

Ryan Harris, the Kings XI Punjab fast bowler, has returned to Australia from the IPL after being diagnosed with an Achilles tendon injury. Harris left India on Tuesday, the night before he was named in Australia's squad for the Ashes in England this summer.

Harris, 33, had played in Kings XI's first three games of the season before sustaining the injury. Once the nature of his injury was ascertained the Kings XI management, in consultation with Cricket Australia's medical team, deemed it fit for Harris to return to Australia.

If Harris' rehabilitation goes as planned, he could recover well in time for the Ashes. "Harris has been ruled out for six to eight weeks, so it was best for him to be released and recover at home," Arvinder Singh, the Kings XI chief operating officer, told ESPNcricinfo. "We will name his replacement in a day or two."

Harris has a history of injuries and this latest setback is unlikely to go down well in Australia. After missing most of the domestic season, Harris had recovered in time play three Sheffield Shield games. His haul of 19 wickets in those matches for Queensland earned him a place in the Ashes squad, which is being touted as Australia's weakest since the 1980s.