Flintoff, one of the two most expensive players of the tournament at $1.55m along with Kevin Pietersen, will have to undergo a sixth keyhole operation — MRI scans revealed a torn meniscus in his right knee, adding to hernia problems and four surgeries on his left ankle over the years.

“Clearly this is a huge disappointment for both the player and the IPL team. This sort of degenerative injury though is one that could have happened at any time, anywhere,” Dr Nick Pierce, the English cricket board’s chief medical officer was quoted as saying on ECB’s website.

“The procedures we put in place meant that the ECB medical staff were alerted about the problem immediately and we thank Chennai for their co-operation,” he added. Initial assessments indicated that it would take Flintoff three-to-five weeks to recover, and he could be ruled out of the Test series against West Indies starting on May 6. He is, however, expected to be fit for the World T20 championships and the Ashes.

The all-rounder had a forgettable run in his first IPL, picking up only two wickets for 105 runs. His 0-50 from four overs against Delhi was the most expensive spell of the tournament so far. With the bat, he scored 62 runs in three innings at an average of 31.

“It is highly unfortunate that we have to lose his services this way. He has already taken a flight to London,” a Chennai team official said.

Not about the money

Flintoff’s skipper in the tournament, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said that Flintoff’s contribution should not be seen in the context of his financial value. “I don’t think we should judge him like that. We should look at his value addition to the team,” Dhoni said. “I think he’s a tremendous cricketer. He has contributed to the team in many ways.”

With Pietersen also continuing to struggle in the tournament, the performances of the IPL’s two top picks have been extremely disappointing as the tournament’s first week comes to a close. Pietersen, who is playing for the Bangalore Royal Challengers, has scored 43 runs in four matches at an average of 10.75. The Bangalore team have lost three out of four matches under his captaincy, and he has also been reprimanded.

With the 28-year-old former England skipper available only for four more IPL matches, he has his task cut out to avoid being included in season two’s flop list, in which Flintoff’s name has already been scribbled.