The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off on March 22nd, but several key players will be missing from the action due to injuries, international commitments, or personal reasons. While a few franchises have announced replacements, others are yet to rope in potential alternatives. In this article, we will take a look a look at those players who had to pull themselves out due to injury or other reasons.
Here’s a team-by-team analysis of unavailable players and their replacements:
Mohammed Shami, the pace spearhead, who led the wicket-taking charts in 2023, is out with an ankle injury sustained during the ODI World Cup. He recently underwent surgery in London, and the Titans haven’t announced a replacement yet.
Moreover, Matthew Wade, the Australian wicketkeeper might miss the Titans’ initial matches (March 25 and 27) due to his commitment to the Sheffield Shield final with Tasmania (March 21-25).
From Lucknow Super Giants, Mark Wood, the England pacer was withdrawn by the ECB to manage his workload ahead of the T20 World Cup and the English summer. West Indies’ Shamar Joseph takes his place as a replacement.
Talking about Rajasthan Royals, Prasidh Krishna, the Indian fast bowler suffered a quadriceps tendon injury during the Ranji Trophy and will miss his second consecutive IPL season. The Royals haven’t named a replacement yet.
As far as Kolkata Knight Riders are concerned, Jason Roy, the England opener pulled out due to personal reasons. England’s Phil Salt, currently ranked No. 2 in the T20I batting rankings, fills the vacated spot.
Furthermore, Gus Atkinson the England fast bowler was withdrawn by the ECB for workload management reasons. Dushmantha Chameera, the Sri Lankan pacer, joins the squad as his replacement.
In the end, Chennai Super Kings’ Devon Conway, who is the New Zealand batsman underwent thumb surgery and is expected to be out for eight weeks. CSK haven’t announced a replacement yet.
While the BCCI has revealed the schedule for the first 17 days of the tournament, the remaining fixtures depend on India’s general election polling dates. Once these dates are finalized, the BCCI will announce the complete schedule.
The absence of these players will undoubtedly force teams to adjust their strategies. The Titans will miss Shami’s firepower, while the Royals need to find a solution for Prasidh Krishna’s absence in their bowling attack. However, the replacements like Phil Salt and Shamar Joseph offer exciting possibilities. Cricket fans will be eager to see how teams cope with these changes and whether these replacements can make a significant impact.
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