Lucknow Super Giants team
The start of IPL 2024 is very near. The first match of the season will be played between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Before the start of the tournament, there are many players who have been ruled out of IPL 2024 due to injury or personal reasons or may miss the initial matches. In this series, Lucknow Super Giants have also suffered a big blow. A star player of Lucknow Super Giants has not joined the team yet and it is expected that this player may be out for the entire season. However, no information has been given by the franchise about his exit. This player is none other than David Willey.
The team gave crores of rupees
Lucknow Super Giants’ David Willey may miss the opening matches of IPL 2024 due to personal reasons. The English left-arm fast bowler, who spent the last two IPL seasons with Royal Challengers Bangalore and was scheduled to play for LSG this year, was included in the squad for Rs 2 crore in the December 2023 auction. But LSG’s new head coach Justin Langer revealed on Wednesday that Willey will not be available for the start of the season, after spending the last two months in the ILT20 and PSL representing Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Multan Sultans.
According to the report by ESPN Cricinfo, Willey has not been replaced in the team yet and he may still travel to India at some stage of the tournament. But he was away from home for most of the English winter, playing in the World Cup in India, and has returned to the UK after playing in Monday’s PSL final. Willey is the second English player to be unavailable for LSG’s start of the season, with Mark Wood previously ruled out for the entire season by the ECB for managing a workload ahead of the T20 World Cup. Wood has been replaced by West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph, while Willey has not been replaced yet.
What did team head coach Langer say?
When asked about LSG’s fast bowling attack, Langer said that with Mark Wood pulling out of the tournament and David Willey also not coming, it means we are lacking some experience, but what I have seen in the last few days. What you have seen is that we have a lot of talent. Some of our guys have got some injuries but they all look very fit at the moment. They look fit and healthy and they are very hungry to play, so we just have to manage them well so that we can work them, not just at the beginning of the tournament, but throughout the tournament.”
Langer also named 21-year-old Delhi fast bowler Mayank Yadav as a genuine pace bowler who can provide some pace in Wood’s absence. Langer said that Mark Wood is a world-class bowler and he was out after the auction, which is disappointing but we also have Shamar Joseph, we also have Mayank who bowls at very good pace. Hopefully we can replace Wood’s experience, but not his speed, with Shamar Joseph and Mayank. LSG has to play its first match in IPL 2024 against Rajasthan Royals. This match will be played on 24 March.
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