With the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) less than two weeks away, a slew of international stars have already pulled out of the tournament either due to injury or personal reasons.
On Tuesday, Indian pacers Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna were added to IPL's injury ward list following a statement from the BCCI.
Here are the players who will miss IPL 2024
Mohammed Shami (Gujarat Titans)
India's premier pacer underwent a successful surgery for a right heel problem last month and won't be available for the 2022 IPL champion this time around. Shami was the leading wicket-taker in India's spectacular run to the final in last year's ODI World Cup, picking 24 wickets in just seven matches. However, he hasn't figured in a single competitive match following India's defeat to Australia in the final in November. Shami also topped the wicket-takers' charts last year in the IPL, nabbing 28 wickets in 17 games in Titans' dominant run to the final.
Prasidh Krishna (Rajasthan Royals)
Following a surgery on his left proximal quadriceps tendon last month, the lanky pacer from Karnataka won't feature for Rajasthan Royals for the second consecutive time in the IPL. Prasidh had impressed in his debut season for Royals, justifying his price tag of Rs. 10 crore at the auction with 19 scalps from 17 games in 2022. However, Prasidh endured a tough time on his return to international cricket last year, and had a forgettable Test debut in South Africa in December. He last featured for Karnataka in a Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat in January.
Mark Wood (Lucknow Super Giants)
The England fast-bowler was pulled out of the upcoming IPL season by his cricket board to manage his workload ahead of the T20 World Cup in June and a home summer. Wood was bought for Rs. 7.5 crore by the Lucknow franchise at the IPL 2022 auction but the pacer missed the tournament that followed due to an elbow injury. In 2023, Wood picked 11 wickets in four games for LSG, including a fifer in his first match of the season. The 34-year-old featured in three Tests against India in the recently concluded series, but picked just four wickets in five innings. Lucknow Super Giants named Shamar Joseph as Wood's replacement for the upcoming season, with the West Indies quick joining the franchise for Rs. 3 crores.
Gus Atkinson (Kolkata Knight Riders)
The English cricket board (ECB) also withdrew Atkinson from IPL 2024 to manage the pacer's workload, even though his last international assignment came in December last year on the tour to West Indies. The 26-year-old made his international cricket debut only last year and has featured in nine ODIs and three T20Is so far, and is yet to make his Test debut. He was bought for Rs. 1 crore by Knight Riders at the auction last year. Sri Lanka pacer Dushmantha Chameera, who went unsold at the auction, joins the Kolkata franchise at a reserve price of Rs. 50 lakh.
Jason Roy (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Roy, an attacking top-order batsman, pulled out of the IPL due to personal reasons. He played eight matches for Knight Riders last season, setting the tone early for the franchise with a strike rate of 151.60. Interestingly, Roy has represented four different teams in four seasons in the IPL, having previously represented Gujarat Lions, Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has also pulled out from the tournament due to personal reasons on two previous occasions, in 2020 and 2022. Roy is replaced by another hard-hitting English top-order batter Phil Salt, who hit back-to-back centuries in a T20I series. in the Caribbean last December. Salt represented Delhi Capitals last year before going unsold at the auction. He will join KKR for a reserve price of Rs. 1.5 crore.
Devon Conway (Chennai Super Kings)
The defending champion will sorely miss its Kiwi opener, who is unlikely to feature in the first leg of the tournament. He is likely to be sidelined for eight weeks following a thumb surgery. Conway was injured during New Zealand's T20I series at home against Australia last month and didn't feature in the Test series that followed. A vital cog in CSK's title win last year, Conway was the franchise's top run-getter, scoring 672 runs at a strike rate of almost 140. The MS Dhoni-led side is yet to name a replacement for the Kiwi.