Injuries sidelining players or players opting out for various reasons is a common thing ahead of an Indian Premier League season. This year too, a handful of players will miss the cash-rich league for some reasons. Some of them played key roles for their franchises in previous seasons, and their absence will be a setback for the franchise.
Below is a list of players who have either opted out of participating in the IPL 2024 season or have been sidelined due to injuries or other compelling reasons.
1. Devon Conway
The CSK opener is set to miss the first half of IPL 2024 due to a thumb injury. Conway has been an integral part of the MS Dhoni-led side since 2022. Last season, he was the top run-getter for the yellow-attired team with 672 runs in 16 matches. The rookie Rachin Ravindra is expected to replace Conway in the opening spot.
2. Jason Roy
The English opener was retained by KKR ahead of the season for 1.5 crore. But Roy has opted out of the IPL 2024 season, citing that he has been away from his family since January and needs to reunite with them. Roy was brilliant last IPL season, scoring 285 runs in 8 matches. Jason Roy’s countryman, Phil Salt, has replaced him in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad.
3. Prasidh Krishna
In the IPL 2022 Auction, Rajasthan Royals acquired Prasidh Krishna for a whopping price of 10 crore. He played 17 games in the 2022 season and scalped 19 wickets. Despite being retained for the 2023 season, he missed the entire campaign due to injury. Once again, ahead of the 2024 season, RR retained the lanky pacer, but they will again miss his contributions in the 2024 season owing to an injury.
4. Mohammed Shami
Shami’s absence is certainly a big blow for the Gujarat Titans side. He has been GT’s go-to bowler since the team’s debut in 2022. In two seasons with the Gujarat-based franchise, Shami took 48 wickets and won the purple cap in the 2023 season. Unfortunately, Shami has been ruled out of the entire 2024 season due to an ankle injury. Amid, he underwent surgery and will require 2-3 months to recover.
5. Harry Brook
The Engalnd batter was bought by Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 Auction for 4 crore rupees. Brook has opted out of the upcoming Indian Premier League season due to personal reasons. Brook wrote on his social media account, “IÂ lost my Grandmother last month – she was a rock to me and I spent a huge amount of my childhood in her home; my attitude to life and love for cricket was shaped by her and my late grandfather. Now that she has passed my family & I are grieving and I need to be around them.”
According to reports, Australian youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk may replace Brook in DC’s roster. McGurk has been linked to the Capitals as he played for their franchise, Dubai Capitals, in the ILT20 league.
6. Gus Atkinson
Gus Atkinson is another English player who has pulled out of the IPL 2024 season. In the auction, Atkinson was signed by KKR for 1 crore. However, the pacer has opted to miss his debut IPL season to manage his workload. Dushmantha Chameera of Sri Lanka has been named as his replacement by the SRK-owned franchise.
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7. Mark Wood
Mark Wood will be absent from the IPL 2024 season due to undisclosed reasons. The English speedster, who recently toured India as part of England’s Test squad, could have played a crucial role for the Lucknow Super Giants. In the previous IPL season, Wood picked 11 wickets in just 4 games. To fill his absence, LSG has chosen Shamar Joseph as his replacement.
