Australia’s plans for the ongoing white-ball series against South Africa have been dealt a blow with all-rounder Mitchell Owen ruled out due to concussion. The Punjab Kings’ IPL player suffered the injury during the second T20I in Darwin when a bouncer struck the grill of his helmet. Although he passed the initial on-field concussion checks, delayed symptoms emerged later.
Under Cricket Australia’s concussion protocols, Owen will be sidelined for 12 days, forcing him to miss Friday’s final T20I as well as the three ODIs that follow. It is a setback for the 23-year-old, who had been in line for his maiden ODI appearance after an explosive start to his T20I career earlier this year.
In the seven T20Is that he has played, Owen has mustered 135 runs at a great strike rate of 164.64. He had a breakout Big Bash League (BBL) 2024-25, where Owen became the Player of the Tournament. He had a freakish season with the Hurricanes, helping them to lift their maiden crown with his 452 runs at a strike rate of over 200. In the final, Owen smashed a 39-ball century!
Mitchell Owen’s ODI debut put on hold
Owen’s inclusion in the ODI squad had been one of the major talking points when selectors named the team last month. He had been fast-tracked into the 50-over setup following a standout debut series against the West Indies, where he smashed 125 runs at a strike rate of 192.30. With the retirements of Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell, Owen was set for a vital middle-order role and a chance to make his mark in a format he had yet to play for Australia.
This latest setback means his wait will continue, with selectors now looking at other options to fill the gap. Owen had also replaced Maxwell at Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025 season, after Ricky Ponting backed him for the role. Owen is not the only absentee. Matt Short has been ruled out of the ODIs as he continues to recover from a side strain sustained during the West Indies tour. Lance Morris will also miss the series after returning to Perth with lower back soreness.
All-rounder Aaron Hardie and left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, both currently in the T20I squad, will remain with the group for the ODIs. Australia lead the T20I series 2-0 and will aim to complete a sweep before shifting focus to the ODIs.
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