Jonny Bairstow. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Punjab Kings (PBKS) player Jonny Bairstow has been ruled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) due to an injury he sustained in September 2022. The English wicket-keeper batter has been replaced by the Australian Matthew Short for the 2023 season. Notably, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will play the second match of the IPL 2023 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Mohali on April 1.
On Saturday, March 25, Punjab Kings made an announcement regarding Bairstow’s availability in the 2023 IPL on social media. In a video shared by PBKS on its official Instagram handle, the PBKS’ newly appointed head coach Trevor Bayliss said that the English cricketer will miss the entire IPL season. He also said that he has been replaced by Short.
“We regret to inform you that our Sher Jonny Bairstow will not be a part of the IPL this season because of his injury. We wish him the best and look forward to seeing him in our colours next season. We are pleased to welcome Matthew Short as his replacement in the squad,” PBKS captioned the video.
See the video:
Bairstow started training in late February and was seen batting in the Yorkshire nets earlier this week. He is expected to feature in Division 2 of the County Championship in May. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed his IPL franchise that he was unfit for the tournament.
It is understood that the 33-year-old cricketer broke his left leg and dislocated his ankle before the third and final Test of England’s home series against South Africa in September. He suffered the injury while playing golf with friends in Yorkshire. He suffered multiple fractures and then also underwent surgery.
After sustaining the injury, he has missed most of England’s international assignments, including the T20 World Cup. The 33-year-old cricketer has also missed tours to Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. He also didn’t feature in the inaugural International League T20 (ILT20).
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