Every season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), there are several overseas stars who warm the benches and barely get enough opportunities to represent their franchises. In the ongoing season, the likes of Jacob Bethell, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Owen and others are sitting out. Even Quinton de Kock wasn’t picked until Rohit Sharma missed out the game due to injury. England’s left-arm pacer Luke Wood is another overseas player who is waiting for an opportunity. But, Wood 's focus remains solid. He understands that Gujarat Titans have a lethal pace attack and there are plenty on the bench as well. He is biding his time and waiting for an opportunity when it presents itself.
“I think it’s just a case of biding your time a little bit," Wood told News18 CricketNext on April 18. “We’ve got a pretty high‑quality bowling lineup as it is. And there are plenty of good fast bowlers on the bench – me, Jason Holder, Ishant Sharma, for example. So I think you just have to bide your time. You’ve got to train like you’re preparing to play, get what you need to feel ready for when that chance comes. If and when it comes, you can’t put a definite on that. You just have to train hard, stay patient, bide your time, and also enjoy the team’s success. You can’t sit and mope around because you’re not playing. It is what it is. Not everyone in the squad can get out on the cricket field.”
Wood was roped in for his base price of Rs 75 lakh. Currently, GT have benched Jason Holder whom they roped in for Rs 7 crore. The current fast-bowling lineup comprises of Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kagiso Rabada and Ashok Sharma. Among left-arm pacers, Gurnoor Brar and Arshad Khan are warming the bench as well.
Wood raves about GT's bowling attack
The English pacer lauded the variety in GT’s bowling attack. He also praised how Krishna bowled in death overs against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), restricting the score well below 200.
“That’s one of the major strengths of our bowling lineup – we’ve got a lot of variety. Even though you have three or four right‑arm seamers, they’re all very different. One can bowl mid‑150s. You’ve got KG, who’s done what he’s done for years – bowls that heavy, good length and makes it hard for batters. Then you’ve got Mohammed Siraj, who swings the ball. And Prasidh — I don’t know if you saw him at the death yesterday, he was unbelievable. I was thinking that the 19th over was top class,” he said.
“So you can see throughout the whole bowling lineup that everyone’s kind of different. If it’s not someone’s day, the next person takes that responsibility. I think we’ve actually got better and better as a bowling group each game. And you’re not even including Rashid Khan in that so far. So it’s a pretty strong bowling lineup. From the sidelines, it’s pretty good to watch at times," Wood added.
Wood learns from Nehra
Wood has been benched but he is utilising this time to learn about how to bowl in India on different surfaces from GT head coach Ashish Nehra.
“He’s been very helpful – I’ve not played a great deal in India itself, so he’s helped me understand the difference between red and black soil. He’s been really good with that. What deliveries work on certain pitches – and it’s good that he’s a left‑arm seamer too, so there’s plenty of value he can add for me," he further added.
Wood’s experience bowling in India
30-year-old Wood recently played at Wankhede Stadium against Nepal where he conceded 31 runs from his quota of four overs. He did not get another chance to play in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.
He made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2024. Against Delhi Capitals (DC), he went for 68 runs in four overs and didn't play another game in the season. His only IPL wicket is West Indies’ white-ball captain Shai Hope.
GT face Wood's former franchise, MI in their next game at home. It is unlikely that the pacer gets a game ahead of Rabada.