Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the upcoming Champions Trophy due to a lower-back injury, casting doubt over his participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well. Cricket Australia confirmed that Marsh’s recovery and rehabilitation process have not progressed as expected, making him unfit for the tournament, which begins on February 19.

In an official statement, Cricket Australia announced that Marsh would continue his rehabilitation for “lower back pain and dysfunction.” With his absence now confirmed, the national selection committee will soon convene to decide on a suitable replacement in Australia’s 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, which is set to be held in Pakistan and Dubai. This has even put a doubt if Marsh will be able to regain fitness in time for IPL 2025, where he is set to play for Lucknow Super Giants, alongside the likes of Rishabh Pant.

“Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the upcoming ICC men’s Champion’s Trophy with ongoing lower back pain and dysfunction…The National Selection Panel and Australian men’s medical team ruled Marsh out of the tournament with the injury which has not responded sufficiently to rehabilitation,” CA’s statement said.

“Marsh will now undergo a period of further rest and rehabilitation as part of his return to play plan. The NSP will meet to decide on a replacement for Marsh in due course,” it added.

Marsh’s absence is a major setback for Australia, as he has been an integral part of their white-ball setup in recent years. However, his form has dipped in the past few months, and his struggles were evident during Australia’s recent fixtures. He was dropped from the Test side for the final match of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, with Beau Webster replacing him in the playing XI.

Marsh had also played just one Big Bash League (BBL) match on January 7 after the Test series before opting to sit out the last three matches of the season in an attempt to refresh himself physically and mentally ahead of the Champions Trophy. Unfortunately for him, his back issues persisted, ultimately forcing the selectors to rule him out of the tournament.

Australia will now have to find a replacement, and among the leading contenders is Jake Fraser-McGurk, despite the young batter’s struggles in Australia’s recent series against Pakistan. Other names such as Aaron Hardie and Matt Short could also be considered as Australia looks to finalize their squad before the Champions Trophy kicks off.