England suffer huge blow ahead of T20 World Cup as star player flies back from Australia

England cricket team's worst fears have come true with reports emerging about Three Lions will miss one of the most important players ahead of their T20 World Cup campaign. England skipper Jos Buttler will be without his star pacer Reece Topley who has taken a flight back home after suffering an injury. Topley had rolled his left ankle during a fielding drill in Brisbane on Monday afternoon before England’s warm-up fixture against Pakistan at the Gabba.

Reece Topley leaves England T20 World Cup squad 

Scans have revealed that Reece Topley has two ruptured ligaments in his left ankle, and will return home for an operation followed by rehabilitation. Topley has emerged as a key player for England in 2022 and has contributed to the team's success in various series. He is currently England's leading wicket-taker in T20s this year with 17 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 28. England have drafted in left-arm seamer Tymal Mills into their T20 World Cup squad.

Mills, who is one of the travelling reserves with the team, is likely to get the nod ahead of fellow fast-bowling reserve Richard Gleeson due to his previous tournament experience. Mills was part of the England team last year and performed really well in the UAE. The left-arm pacer picked up seven wickets at an average of 15.42 and an economy rate of 8.00 in the matches. 

His participation in that tournament was cut short by a thigh injury. Incidentally, Topley replaced him in the England squad on that occasion. England will be playing their first game against Afghanistan on Saturday, which will be followed by fixtures against hosts and defending champions Australia, 2021 runners-up New Zealand and two qualifiers.