Injury will force Kyle Mills to skip IPL

There will be no Indian Premier League cricket for Kyle Mills this year but he continues to make steady progress towards his goal of playing for the Black Caps at the next Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean, starting late April.

Mills is rehabilitating after having surgery on his shoulder and knee a week apart in late November. He expects to be playing Auckland club cricket again by the end of March.

"The knee's fine," says Mills. "I'm back cycling to try to strengthen it but my shoulder is taking a wee bit more time to heal. That's to be expected, though. The first eight weeks, I've had to take it easier on my shoulder but there's more movement in it now. In the third week of January, I'm going to look at doing some specific strength work.

"The expectation is that full movement will return. The shoulder's the major operation but I thought I should do the knee as well while I can. The biggest issue early on will be fielding, in case I fall on it awkwardly."

While he won't be able to revisit his US$150,000 contract with the Mumbai Indians in 2010, Mills is hopeful it might open an avenue with the John Bracewell-coached Gloucestershire.

Mills was sought by the English county last season and was destined to play on a three-month contract as their overseas player. But that deal was conditional on him not being selected in the IPL.

"I haven't had any official talks as yet this time around," says Mills. "But if asked, I'd happily go across to play because I'll be refreshed and looking for whatever cricket I can once I'm fit."

In the meantime, Mills will have new-father duties to attend to, with wife Diana due to give birth in the next week or so. He will juggle that with his debut behind the microphone in the Sky commentary box as part of the team producing coverage of the domestic HRV Twenty20 Cup this month.

"I'm keen to get out of my comfort zone. I might not be any good but I'll try it, I might enjoy it [commentating]. If I'm rubbish, I expect to be axed.

"Obviously the arrival of the baby will dictate how much time I get to spend there. It's one of the few positives I can take from my injury. The other is that I can spend time at home with the new arrival."

Another plus is that his rehabilitation didn't stop him hobbling to the tote to pick up some TAB winnings on Tuesday. Cyclone Night, the horse Mills owns as part of a syndicate, won the 2600 metres standing start Te Awamutu Grass Cup. The five-year-old bay mare picked up $8166 in the harness racing event set up for pacers with two to four previous wins.

"It was an exciting day. It required a mandatory trip down there with my wife. She crossed her legs for the trip, just in case."Meanwhile, the recuperating Jesse Ryder still hasn't been given the go-ahead to take the field for Wellington in the HRV Cup.

Ryder has been out of cricket since late September with an abdominal tear and adductor strain.

Wellington coach Anthony Stuart has left the decision to the medical team.

"He's still stiff. There's a bit of pain and he remains conscious of it."