Cricket fans are excited about the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), especially in light of the large sums that teams spent at the recent mini-auction held on December 19 at Dubai's Coca-Cola Arena. Fans are excitedly awaiting the 17th IPL season, which begins in March, but there's a risk that a number of well-known players from various nations won't be taking part.
From toe to knee, these players have suffered through various injuries in recent times and might miss some games or the entire season altogether. All these players are key players for their teams and it might be a huge blow with their unavailability.
Let's look at the top five cricketers who might not be part of the IPL 2024:
5. Hardik Pandya
A name that garnered tons of news in the last couple of months, especially with the whole captaincy controversy around him. Hardik Pandya was traded by Mumbai Indians from Gujarat Titans after the auction, the news for which had been in rounds for a while then. But what came as a surprise was that he was named captain of the team, replacing the legendary captain, Rohit Sharma.
However, he has been out of the active cricket circuit for a while now. The last match he played was for India in the World Cup where he took up an injury and has been out of the action ever since. His injury is still active and there is news that he might miss the entire season of the upcoming Indian Premier League.
4. Mohammad Shami
After a terrific performance in the World Cup, Mohammad Shami, who sent the opposition batters packing in no time, has been out of the action. He picked up an injury and has been struggling to get fit after that. He has also missed several series for India including the important Test Series against South Africa and England.
He is the spearhead of the attack for his IPL side, Gujarat Titans. His team relies a lot on him, especially the pace department, and his unavailability might be the news they would be avoiding for a while. If not the entire season, he may have to miss the starting few matches in this edition of the tournament.
Also check: IPL 2024 Teams and Players List
3. Rishabh Pant
Another player who has been away from the cricket field for a long while now is the Indian giant Rishabh Pant. He faced a terrible accident on December 31 and has been on a journey of recovery ever since.
He is one of the most important players of the Indian team and the X-Factor player who can turn the tides of the game. He is recovering well but still has some issues in his knees which might not be the good news for BCCI as they are hoping him to get fit before the T20 World Cup to be held this year. Keeping his fitness in mind, he might have to be rested as a precautionary measure and he might miss IPL this year.
2. Suryakumar Yadav
Famously known as Sky, Surya has established his name as Mr. 360 in the Indian Premier League as well as International cricket. He is currently the No.1 ranked T20I batter and also won the T20I Player of the Year award for his performances in 2023.
He is a crucial pick for his IPL team Mumbai Indians. He has been out with an injury from International cricket and had to miss the series with Afghanistan due to the same. Although his injury has been completed, he would still require at least two months of resting period, which might mean would miss some games for his side at least.
1. Prithvi Shaw
The IPL 2024 would be a do-or-die for Prithvi Shaw. The Delhi Capitals might have given the last rope to the Mumbai batter to prove his talent and make a mark in the tournament. Shaw has to create some magic to get noticed by the selectors.
In the last IPL, Shaw scored only 106 runs at an average of 13.25 in eight matches. He is out of India’s side from July 2021 and has to put up a stellar performance with the bat to get noticed. He will surely start in the Playing XI for his side, but his performances will decide if he will continue.
Also check: Team-wise fittest player in the IPL 2024
from IPL Live Score | IPL News, IPL 2024 Updates, Squads & Results - CricTracker