The Perth Scorchers have encountered a major setback in their BBL title defense as captain Ashton Turner has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament after undergoing knee surgery. Turner sustained a meniscus tear in his right knee and will not be able to participate in the current BBL campaign. He had been dealing with the knee issue throughout the season and had not played in Western Australia’s last two Sheffield Shield matches before the BBL break. The Scorchers are now deciding on who will take over as captain in Turner’s absence, with Australia wicketkeeper Josh Inglis being the official vice-captain. Turner recently secured an IPL deal with Lucknow Super Giants, with the tournament set to start in March. Despite the setback, the Scorchers are currently positioned second in the table with two wins from three matches as they aim for a hat-trick of titles. Their first game of the season against Melbourne Renegades was abandoned due to a dangerous pitch.
