Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be without David Willey for the initial part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season due to personal reasons. The English all-rounder, acquired by LSG at his base price of Rs 2 crore in the the IPL 2024 auction held in Dubai, was expected to bolster their bowling attack.
David Willey jolt for LSG
Lucknow Super Giants' new head coach Justin Langer confirmed the news in the team's press conference. Willey's absence might be due to fatigue, considering his busy schedule over the past two months. He recently participated in both the ILT20 (representing Abu Dhabi Knight Riders) and the PSL (playing for Multan Sultans). With the IPL kicking off on March 22, it remains unclear when Willey will be available to join the LSG squad.
David Willey's absence for initial few matches will be a setback for LSG's bowling plans. While ESPNcricinfo reported that Willey hasn't been officially replaced yet, the possibility of him joining the squad later in the season remains open.
This news comes on top of LSG already missing another English player, Mark Wood. Wood was pulled out by the England Cricket Board (ECB) for the entire IPL to manage his workload ahead of the T20 World Cup. However, LSG announced West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph as Wood's replacement.
Willey's situation is further complicated by his extended time away from home. He participated in the recent World Cup in India and only returned to the UK after playing in the PSL final on Monday. With the IPL kicking off soon, LSG will need to decide whether to wait for Willey or pursue a replacement to solidify their bowling attack.
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Head coach Justin Langer confirms Willey's unavailability for start of IPL 2024
"With Mark Wood pulling out of the tournament and also David Willey won't be coming now either, that means we lack some experience. But what I've also seen in the last couple of days is that we have enormous talent. Some of our guys have had some injuries but they all look very fit at the moment.," Langer said in LSG's press conference.
"They look fit and healthy and they're very hungry, so we'll just have to manage them well so that we can get them through and work through the whole tournament, not just the start of the tournament. We've got one overseas player up our sleeve if required, where we might be able to add some experience," he added.
Langer also name-checked the 21-year-old Delhi seamer Mayank Yadav as a genuine fast bowler who could provide some pace in Wood's absence.
"Mark Wood is a world-class bowler, isn't he? And he pulled out after the auction, which is disappointing but this is the world we live in," Langer further said.
Notably, KL Rahul-led LSG will start their IPL 2024's campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 24 followed by a clash versus Punjab Kings on March 30. They will then take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 2 and further lock horns with Gujarat Titans on April 7.
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LSG Team's IPL 2024 FULL SQUAD
| Wicketkeepers | Batters | All-rounders | Bowlers |
| Quinton de Kock (SA) | Devdutt Padikkal | Deepak Hooda | Shamar Joseph (WI) |
| KL Rahul (c) | Ayush Badoni | K. Gowtham | Mayank Yadav |
| Nicolas Pooran (WI) | Ashton Turner (AUS) | Krunal Pandya | Mohsin Khan |
| Kyle Mayers (WI) | Ravi Bishnoi | ||
| Marcus Stoinis (AUS) | Yash Thakur | ||
| Prerak Mankad | Amit Mishra | ||
| Yudhvir Singh Charak | Naveen-ul-Haq (AFG) | ||
| David Willey (ENG) | Shivam Mavi | ||
| Arshin Kulkarni | Manimaran Siddharth | ||
| Md. Arshad Khan |
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