Jonny Bairstow is Out of the IPL 2023, and Matthew Short Comes as a Replacement

Matthew Short replacement for Jonny Bairstow: English Batter Jonny Bairstow is set to miss out on the upcoming season of IPL which commences on 31st March. Matthew Short was named as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow in Punjab Kings.

Punjab Kings took a big blow ahead of the 16th edition of IPL as their opening batter, Bairstow is out of the tournament. Australian domestic cricketer Matthew Short has been named as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow.

Since suffering the injury, Punjab Kings have been eagerly waiting for an update from the England Cricket Board (ECB) on Bairstow’s level of fitness, following his return to training in late February.

Prior to the final Test of the English summer against South Africa, Jonny Bairstow experienced an unexpected injury while playing golf, causing him to slip and sustain several fractures in his fibula.

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Matthew Short comes as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow

In addition to the fractures in his fibula, Bairstow also endured ligament harm that necessitated the placement of a plate via surgery. As a result of the injury, the 33-year-old was unable to participate in the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, as well as various tours to Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, and the International League T20 in the UAE.

In a recently posted video on Twitter, Punjab Kings head coach Trevor Bayliss acknowledged that the team will feel the absence of the English player, but expressed his belief that Matthew Short (replacement for Jonny Bairstow) possesses the necessary skills to serve as a suitable substitute.

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“To all the fans of the Punjab Kings, Jonny Bairstow won’t be with us in this campaign. He hasn’t recovered from his injury in time for the IPL. We wish him a speedy recovery. Obviously, a player of Johnny’s standing in the international game, it’s a shame not to have him.” said the Head Coach after Jonny Bairstow was ruled out of the IPL.

“At the same time, we are announcing Matthew Short, who is the Big Bash Player of the Season in Australia this year will be joining us for this IPL 2023.” He further praised Matthew Short who’s named as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow.

With 458 runs in 15 games at an average of 35.23 and a strike rate of 144.47, Short emerged as the second-highest run-scorer in this year’s BBL.

Despite this being his first IPL season, the Kings’ coaching staff seems to have faith in his abilities as a worthy replacement for Bairstow. The Kings are scheduled to commence their 2023 IPL season on April 1 in Mohali, where they will face off against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

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