A comprehensive list of all the injured and unavailable players of all 10 teams heading into the IPL 2024 season.
As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season approaches, teams are finalizing their squads amidst challenges posed by injuries and player unavailability. This year, several key players across various teams have been sidelined due to various reasons, affecting the team compositions and their strategies leading into the tournament. Here’s a comprehensive look at the injury and unavailability concerns for all 10 teams heading into IPL 2024, based on the latest information available.
KKR faces the challenge of managing without Gus Atkinson, who is currently unavailable due to workload management. The team has roped in Dushmantha Chameera as Atkinson’s replacement. The Sri Lankan pacer was with Lucknow Supergiants until last season and was released ahead of the IPL 2024 Auction, where he went unsold.
Additionally, England’s wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt has joined KKR as a replacement for Jason Roy, who pulled out of the season owing to personal reasons. Salt went unsold in the IPL 2024 Auction but he has been seen in stellar batting form recently, scoring two centuries against West Indies.
For LSG, Mark Wood’s unavailability due to workload management has led to the inclusion of West Indies’ pace sensation Shamar Joseph as his replacement. Joseph announced himself on the international stage with a sensational bowling performance in the Test series against Australia. Although he is yet to feature in top tier T20 leagues, the talent and potential is there to be seen.
LSG were also struggling with the fitness of other key players like KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis but they are expected to be fit for the start of the season. Rahul is yet to get clearance from the NCA though.
GT will miss the services of Mohammed Shami, sidelined with an ankle injury. That’s a big blow to their new ball attack and his replacement yet to be announced.
Their star spinner Rashid Khan is also on the injury list, potentially affecting his availability at the start of the season. But they do have another talented Afghan spinner in Noor Ahmad in their ranks who can fill in the void left by Rashid until he is fit.
Also Read: RCB star to announce shock retirement after IPL 2024 season: Reports
For CSK, Devon Conway is currently out with a thumb injury. He was one of the best performers for CSK last season, scoring runs consistently at the top of the order. His replacement is yet to be announced. Another kiwi player Rachin Ravindra is expected to open for CSk in his absence.
Lead overseas pacer Matheesha Pathirana has also been dealt with a hamstring injury, adding to CSK’s injury woes. Moreover, Shivam Dube is also uncertain to start after he got injured during the Ranji Trophy season, he missed the Ranji knockouts and no update on his injury is available since then.
DC’s concerns included Rishabh Pant, who was doubtful for the start of the season after the horrific car crash he encountered last year. However, the BCCI recently declared him fit to play in the IPL 2024 season.
It is not clear whether Pant will lead DC this season, but head coach Ricky Ponting has confirmed that they will use him in some capacity at least, which means he may play as an impact player.
DC were also sweating over the fitness of David Warner but it looks like he is going to be fit for the first game of the season. In another major news, Harry Brook has also pulled out of the IPL 2024 season due to personal reasons. DC are yet to name a replacement for him.
Suryakumar Yadav may miss the start of the season due to his recovery from the sports hernia surgery he underwent recently.
However, skipper Hardik Pandya, also recovering from an ankle injury, is likely to be available from the start. He was seen in ruthless batting touch in MI net session recently.
🎙️🎧 ASMR | Hardik in the nets 😍#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians @hardikpandya7 pic.twitter.com/Y2QsDhBX6J
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 12, 2024
It was initially thought that RCB will have to manage without Reece Topley due to workload management rules set by the ECB, but he had been pulled out from the PSL and now it looks like he is expected to be available for the start of the season.
Rajat Patidar also suffered an ankle injury during the recently concluded Test series between India and England. There has been no update on his injury since then and hence, it’s not certain for how long he is going to be out. At present, it looks like he might miss the first couple of games.
Although Punjab Kings aren’t dealing with any injury concerns at the moment, but they have three England players Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, and Sam Curran in their roster. With England pulling out players to manage their workload for the upcoming T20 World Cup, it won’t be surprising if they aren’t available for the latter part of the league.
The injuries and unavailability of players have necessitated several replacements across teams, impacting the composition and potential strategies for the upcoming season. Teams are adapting to these changes, with replacements stepping in to fill the gaps left by key players. As the tournament draws closer, the focus will be on how these adjustments affect the teams’ performances and whether the newcomers can seize the opportunity to make a significant impact in IPL 2024.
For Rajasthan Royals, fast bowler Prasidh Krishna has been sidelined for the entire season. He underwent surgery on his left proximal quadriceps tendon on February 23rd, 2024, and is currently being monitored by the BCCi medical team and will resume rehab at the National Cricket Academy soon. Krishna had also missed the entire IPL 2023 season with another form of injury.
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