The 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is eagerly awaited, with its commencement scheduled for March 22 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. This season will kick off with a thrilling match between the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The player auction held in December saw some surprising picks, with Australian players Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc securing bids of over Rs 20 crore. Cummins also took on the role of captain for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
As the excitement builds, there have been some unfortunate updates regarding player availability. Last week, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released information on the health status of several players. Notably, Delhi Capitals’ Rishabh Pant has been cleared to play as a wicketkeeper-batter, marking his return to cricket after a car accident in December 2022.
However, the tournament will miss the presence of fast bowlers Prasidh Krishna from Rajasthan Royals and Mohammed Shami from Gujarat Titans due to injuries. Additionally, England’s Mark Wood and Jason Roy will also be absent this season.
Below is a detailed list of players who are injured or unavailable for the season, along with their replacements:
- Mohammed Shami (India, Gujarat Titans): Injured, replaced by Sandeep Warrier.
- Prasidh Krishna (India, Rajasthan Royals): Injured, no replacement announced yet.
- Mark Wood (England, Lucknow Super Giants): Workload management, replaced by Shamar Joseph.
- Gus Atkinson (England, Kolkata Knight Riders): Workload management, replaced by Dushmantha Chameera.
- Matthew Wade (Australia, Gujarat Titans): Unavailable for the first two matches due to Sheffield Shield final, no replacement announced.
- Devon Conway (New Zealand, Chennai Super Kings): Injured for approximately five weeks, no replacement announced.
- Jason Roy (England, Kolkata Knight Riders): Personal reasons, replaced by Phil Salt.
- Matheesha Pathirana (Sri Lanka, Chennai Super Kings): Injured for approximately one week, no replacement announced.
- Harry Brook (England, Delhi Capitals): Personal reasons, no replacement announced.
- Lungi Ngidi (South Africa, Delhi Capitals): Injured, replaced by Jake Fraser-McGurk.
- Robin Minz (India, Gujarat Titans): Injured, no replacement announced.
- Jason Behrendorff (Australia, Mumbai Indians): Injured, replaced by Luke Wood.
- Dilshan Madushanka (Sri Lanka, Mumbai Indians): Injured, replaced by Kwena Maphaka.
These changes are crucial for fans and fantasy league players to note as they could significantly impact team dynamics and performance throughout the season. The IPL continues to be a highly anticipated event in the cricket calendar, and despite these setbacks, the excitement for the tournament remains undiminished.