Jonny Bairstow, an English wicketkeeper-batter who plays for Punjab Kings, will not participate in IPL 2023 as he continues to recover from the freak injury he sustained in September. Matthew Short, an uncapped Australian batter, will take over for Bairstow in the 2023 campaign.
After the player resumed training in late February, Punjab Kings, through the BCCI, had been awaiting word from the ECB regarding Bairstow’s precise level of fitness. The County Championship’s Division 2 will be played in May, and Bairstow has already begun to bat in the Yorkshire practise nets. It is believed that the BCCI informed Kings to move forward with the replacement on Saturday.
🚨 IMPORTANT UPDATE 🚨
We regret to inform you that 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 next season.
We are pleased to welcome Matthew Short as his replacement.
#PunjabKings pic.twitter.com/NnUMjCe8jV
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) March 25, 2023
On September 2, just days before the third and final Test of England’s home series against South Africa, Bairstow fractured his left leg and dislocated his ankle. He slipped while playing golf with friends, breaking his fibula multiple times, necessitating the insertion of a plate during surgery a few days later, and also sustaining ligament damage.
