Lucknow Super Giants: A Major Blow Amidst IPL 2024

The Lucknow Super Giants have encountered a significant setback ahead of their clash with the Punjab Kings on their home ground on March 30. An English bowler has withdrawn his name from the tournament. England’s swift bowler, David Willey, has decided not to play in the ongoing IPL season. This marks the second occasion in this season when an English fast bowler has withdrawn his name from the Lucknow team. Prior to Willey, Mark Wood had also made a similar decision.

Why Won’t Willey Play in IPL?

The IPL has announced on March 30 that David Willey will not be participating in the tournament due to personal reasons. In place of Willey, Lucknow Super Giants have included the experienced fast bowler from New Zealand, Matt Henry, in the team. Henry has been acquired by Lucknow for ₹1.25 crores. Besides him, the team boasts foreign fast bowlers such as Navin-ul-Haq and Shamrah Joseph. All-rounders Marcus Stoinis and Kyle Mayers are also adept at fast bowling.

Matt Henry’s Track Record

Matt Henry has played a total of 131 T20 matches so far. During this time, he has taken 151 wickets at an economy rate of 8.39. This 32-year-old fast bowler from New Zealand has played only 17 international T20 matches for his country. He is more frequently utilized in the One Day format, where he has claimed 141 wickets in 82 matches. He has prior experience of playing in the IPL, having played two matches for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2017.

Lucknow’s Bid for Willey

The Lucknow franchise secured David Willey in the IPL auction for ₹2 crores. He was previously a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) team in the last two seasons. After his participation in the One Day World Cup last year, he retired from international cricket. Willey had participated in two T20 tournaments before the current IPL season. He played for Abu Dhabi Night Riders in the Abu Dhabi T20 league and for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League in Dubai.

Lucknow Super Giants Squad

The squad includes KL Rahul (captain/wicketkeeper), Quinton de Kock, Devdutt Padikkal, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan, Navin-ul-Haq, Yash Thakur, Deepak Hooda, Mayank Yadav, Amit Mishra, Prerak Mankad, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shivam Mavi, Shamrah Joseph, Matt Henry, Kyle Mayers, Ashton Turner, Manimaran Siddharth, Yudhveer Singh Charak, Arshad Khan, and Arshin Kulkarni.

Concluding, the withdrawal of David Willey from Lucknow Super Giants has prompted the team to make adjustments in their lineup, welcoming the experienced Matt Henry into their ranks. With a formidable squad, the Super Giants aim to overcome this setback and make a mark in the IPL 2024 season.