On Saturday, April 1, in Mohali, Punjab will play their opening match of the IPL 2023 against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Punjab Kings suffered a significant setback when Jonny Bairstow was ruled out with less than a week till the start of the next Indian Premier League (IPL).
The English cricketer has been released from the IPL 2023 Punjab squad after failing to recover from his injury.
He is known as one of the most devastating batters in the format.
When playing golf with friends in Yorkshire, Bairstow slipped and broke multiple bones in his fibula.
He underwent surgery to repair his broken leg and dislocated ankle in October, but he hasn’t fully recovered and hasn’t been given the NOC for the season.
Matthew Short, an Australian all-rounder who won player of the tournament during the most recent Big Bash League season, has been added to the Punjab team as a replacement.
Short will play in the IPL for the first time.
“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,” the franchise tweeted.
Who is Matthew Short?
Matthew Short, a 27-year-old top-order batsman from Australia, will attempt to fill Bairstow’s spot in Punjab’s starting lineup.
Short is a young, uncapped cricketer from Australia who prefers to bat but can also contribute some off-spin.
While playing for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2022–23, Matthew Short was named “Player of the Tournament.”
He finished the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer with 458 runs at an average of 35.23 in 14 matches, including one century, two fifties, and a personal best of 100*.
Moreover, he took 11 wickets in 14 games, with the best bowling average of 3/14.
He has participated in 67 T20 matches in all, scoring 1,409 runs in 64 games at an average of 23.88, with one century and seven fifty-sevens.
In the format, he has 22 wickets as well.
Punjab Kings IPL 2023 squad
Shikhar Dhawan (c), Shahrukh Khan, Matthew Short, Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Jitesh Sharma, Raj Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Atharva Taide, Arshdeep Singh, Baltej Singh, Nathan Ellis, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Sam Curran, Sikandar Raza, Harpreet Bhatia, Vidwath Kaverappa, Mohit Rathee, Shivam Singh.
PBKS IPL 2023 schedule
- Match 1: April 1 – Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Mohali (3:30 PM IST)
- Match 2: April 5 – Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings, Guwahati (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 3: April 9 – Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Punjab Kings, Hyderabad (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 4: April 13 – Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans, Mohali (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 5: April 15 – Lucknow Super Giants vs Punjab Kings, Lucknow (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 6: April 20 – Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mohali (3:30 PM IST)
- Match 7: April 22 – Mumbai Indians vs Punjab Kings, Mumbai (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 8: April 28 – Punjab Kings vs Lucknow Super Giants, Mohali (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 9: April 30 – Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings, Chennai (3:30 PM IST)
- Match 10: May 3 – Punjab Kings vs Mumbai Indians, Mohali (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 11: May 8 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Punjab Kings, Kolkata (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 12: May 13 – Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings, Delhi (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 13: May 17 – Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Dharamsala (7:30 PM IST)
- Match 14: May 19 – Punjab Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Dharamsala (7:30 PM IST)
Also Read: IPL 2023: From MS Dhoni To Jagadeesan: 5 Players You Shouldn’t Miss Out On
