By Zainab Shafiq 
As the IPL 2023 tournament approaches, the Punjab Kings have made a last-minute change to their team by signing Australian all-rounder Matthew Short as Jonny Bairstow’s replacement. Bairstow was ruled out of the competition a week before the tournament begins due to a leg injury sustained while playing golf last September.
The Punjab Kings had been waiting for confirmation from the BCCI regarding Bairstow’s availability, as the England batter would need an NOC from the ECB to play in the IPL 2023, which overlaps with the Ashes series. However, the BCCI has now confirmed that Bairstow will not be granted an NOC, leading to the Punjab Kings signing Short as his replacement.
Short made headlines during the last BBL season for his impressive performance as an opener for the Adelaide Strikers. He scored 458 runs at an average of 35.23 and a strike rate of 144.47, with a best of 100* off 59 balls in a thrilling chase of 230 against Hobart. He also proved to be a handy off-spinner, picking up 11 wickets during the tournament.
Despite being an uncapped player, Short has proved his worth as an all-format player in the domestic circuit, cracking three hundreds across first-class and List-A cricket during the second half of Australia’s domestic season while representing his home state, Victoria.
The Punjab Kings will be led by opener Shikhar Dhawan, who was given the captaincy after the team released Mayank Agarwal. The Punjab Kings finished 6th in IPL 2022 with 7 wins and 7 losses. They will begin their campaign on April 2nd against KKR in Mohali.
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