The Rohit Sharma-led side named explosive New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill as the West Indian’s replacement.
Simmons has been a vital cog in the Mumbai wheel, providing solid starts to the side in crucial matches.
He was ruled out of the first half of the recently concluded WT20 with a similar injury. However, he later returned to the squad to replace injured Andre Fletcher, and went on to play a blistering 51-ball 82-run knock against India in the semi-final at Wankhede stadium.
The 31-year-old scored 540 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 122.41 during the 2015 edition of the cash-rich league, Mumbai’s run to the finals powered by six fifties via Simmons’ willow.
It came as a major surprise to most observers when Kiwi right-hander Guptill went unsold at the IPL auction earlier this year. After finishing as the highest run-getter at the 50-over World Cup, the 29-year-old went on to play series of impressive knocks in limited-overs cricket.
The journey begins. Excited to be heading to India to be with @mipaltan ! Great job on the win tonight! #3Flights pic.twitter.com/4UbZg4P9Kp
— Martin Guptill (@Martyguptill) April 13, 2016
Wishing @54simmo a speedy recovery from his back injury. Be ready for @CPL this year buddy!
— Martin Guptill (@Martyguptill) April 13, 2016
On paper, Guptill for Simmons comes across as the perfect like-for-like replacement. However, it remains to be seen how the New Zealander adjusts to the conditions in India.
Going by his showing at the WT20, Mumbai will be confident their new recruit will come good in the high-profile tournament.
More importantly, this is an ideal chance for Guptill announce himself at the biggest T20 league in world cricket.
