The much-anticipated 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to kick off on March 22, featuring a high-profile opener between defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. In another marquee clash, the Gujarat Titans (GT), led by new captain Shubman Gill in place of Hardik Pandya, will face off against Mumbai Indians (MI) in their first game on March 25 in Ahmedabad.
Gujarat Titans will be without their star player
However, the Titans will be missing the services of one of their star players from the last two seasons, Australian keeper-batter Matthew Wade, at least for their first match in IPL 2024 which could extend to the second game as well.
According to ESPNcricinfo report, Wade has expressed his eagerness to participate in the Sheffield Shield final, which clashes with the early IPL fixtures. The Shield final, involving Tasmania, is scheduled from March 21st to March 25th, and Wade is most likely to be unavailable for the Titans’ opening clash against MI on March 25. Tasmania’s head coach, Jeff Vaughan, though expressed delight in Wade’s commitment to the domestic red-ball tournament final, showcasing the veteran’s dedication to representing his state.
“He’s spoken with his IPL franchise and they’re happy to allow him to stay here, which probably equates to him potentially missing their first game. We feel very fortunate to have someone of Matt’s ilk coming back into our group, and his experience and his performances at the back end of our season,” Vaughan said.
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Absence can extend to match against Chennai Super Kings
Wade’s absence in the initial IPL fixtures is expected to continue for one more game as following the opening match, the 2022 edition’s title winners will face off against the CSK on March 27, and Wade’s participation in that game is also anticipated to be uncertain., and the Titans will miss his valuable contributions both behind the stumps and with the bat.
A key player in Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2022 triumph
Wade played a crucial role in GT’s title-winning campaign in IPL 2022, featuring in 10 matches and accumulating 157 runs at a strike rate of 113. This marked his return to the IPL after a hiatus since the 2011 season. The Titans emerged victorious in the final, defeating the Rajasthan Royals (RR). Nevertheless, in the previous edition, the 36-year-old didn’t feature in any matches, as Wriddhiman Saha was chosen as the preferred wicketkeeper-batter. The Titans, unfortunately, lost the final against MS Dhoni’s CSK.
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