Mark Wood, the fast bowler for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, may not be able to play in the final stages of the tournament as he intends to attend the birth of his daughter in late May.
Wood has missed LSG’s previous two games due to illness, but he has been a standout player for the team this season, taking 11 wickets in four games. Wood had an impressive debut in the IPL against the Delhi Capitals (DC), finishing with figures of 5/14.
In Wood’s absence, the LSG team has selected Naveen-ul-Haq, a seamer from Afghanistan, who has bowled tightly in his first two games.
Mark Wood, along with his wife Sarah, is expecting their second child at the end of May, and the cricketer plans to return home to attend the birth in the coming weeks. However, it seems unlikely that he will return to India to rejoin the Lucknow Super Giants team after that.
The Lucknow Super Giants team is scheduled to play against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on April 28 at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. Following that, they will host Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on May 1 and 3, respectively.
After the conclusion of the IPL 2023 final, England and Ireland will play a one-off Test at Lord’s. CSK player Ben Stokes has mentioned that he may leave the IPL early to prepare for the Ireland Test and the upcoming Ashes. Stokes has not played for CSK since April 3 due to minor injuries, and it is currently unclear when he will return to the team.
It is anticipated that two other English players, Joe Root and Harry Brook, will participate in both the IPL and the Ireland Test. Root has not yet featured for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the current IPL season, while Brook has struggled to make an impact for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), except for one century.
