Wellington, NZ, April 1: New Zealand cricketer Jesse Ryder is disappointed at missing this season's Indian Premier League as he continues his recovery from an assault that left him with a fractured skull and punctured lung.
Ryder has been able to walk around his hospital room, just four days after an attack that caused life-threatening injuries.
However Ryder's manager, Aaron Klee, said while the cricketer could converse and take short walks, he would not be able to take up his IPL contract with the Delhi Daredevils.
Klee said Ryder "was very excited about the IPL. He saw it as a great opportunity to get back on the world stage and do what he does best."
"It's been remarkable to see how someone can go from the state he was in to where he's at now," Klee told the New Zealand Herald.
"He's up on his feet ... he can walk around the room, but he's still very weak.
"He continues to get better and build his strength. He's still got injuries but we'll continue to work through them. It's just time and rest from here."
Police have charged two men, one aged 20 and the other 37, with assaulting Ryder. They are due to appear in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday.
Ryder was attacked around 12.20am last Thursday as he left a bar in the Christchurch suburb of Merivale where he had been socializing with members of his Wellington cricket team. He was first attacked as he left the bar and again after crossing the road to the carpark of a fast-food restaurant.
He was first placed in an induced coma but regained consciousness on Saturday.
Klee said it was too early to determine whether Ryder would play cricket again.
