Hamstring injury rules Nathan Ellis out of SCO vs AUS 2024 1st T20I

Australia's quick Nathan Ellis finds himself out of the playing XI for the first of the three T20Is against Scotland in Edinburgh on Wednesday due to a hamstring injury as per a Cricket Australia (CA) statement. It remains to be seen if the 29-year-old will be available for Australia's remaining matches of the series.

The right-arm pacer made his international debut in August 2021 and has been on the fringes of the national team despite credible performances in limited opportunities. Ellis notably claimed a hat-trick on his first appearance for Australia, doing so against Bangladesh in Mirpur. He was also part of their T20 World Cup 2024 squad and featured in three matches, taking as many scalps.

Here's what CA's statement said, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:

"Nathan Ellis is undergoing ongoing rehabilitation after aggravating his left hamstring tendon in The Hundred. Medical staff will continue to review his availability based on his progress through each stage of rehabilitation."

Australia's playing XI against Scotland for first T20I: Travis Head, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mitchell Marsh(c), Josh Inglis(w), Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Cameron Green, Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Riley Meredith.

"Any time I get the Aussie jersey on I'm pumped" - Nathan Ellis

Speaking on the recent Unplayable Podcast, the New South Wales seamer said he was looking forward to the series against Scotland. He said:

"This was one of the series that I had earmarked for a long period of time knowing the schedule and the demand it would have on a lot of the guys. Any time I get the Aussie jersey on I'm pumped, so the longer I can keep wearing it the better."

The tourists opted to bowl first and have handed a T20I debut to opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who has delivered promising performances in franchise cricket.