West Indies sensation Shamar Joseph has earned his maiden IPL gig as a replacement for England speedster Mark Wood for the 2024 season of the Indian Premier League.
In a statement released by the T20 league, Shamar was confirmed to replace Wood at Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
Every angle, every call – how the broadcasters celebrated Shamar Joseph and the West Indies’ historic Gabba win #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/zainOcQ79C
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 28, 2024
Fully fit Wood to skip IPL 2024
Wisden.com understands that Wood is fully fit, with his withdrawal down to workload management.
Currently part of England’s touring Test squad in India, Wood played in the first Test in Hyderabad, and continues to be available for selection for the remaining three Tests. England’s next assignment will be against Pakistan towards the end of May, usually the backend of an IPL season, with the two teams pencilled in to play four T20Is.
He is also set to feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup, set to be played in the USA and the Caribbean right after the IPL, across June.
Mark Wood’s chequered history with LSG
Wood was bought by the franchise at the 2022 IPL mega auction for a price of INR 7.5 crore, but had to miss the entire season due to a shoulder injury. He was replaced by Andrew Tye for that season.
He was retained by the franchise for the 2023 IPL season, picking up 11 wickets in four matches, before an early exit from the tournament due to the birth of his daughter.
Shamar’s IPL debut
Shamar Joseph, who dominated headlines during West Indies’ Test visit to Australia last month, is set to feature in his first-ever IPL season. In his first international gig, Shamar won the Player of the Series award, playing a pivotal role in his side’s historic win in Brisbane, which levelled the series 1-1. He picked up 13 wickets at 17.30, before a toe injury ruled him out of the white-ball series.
He has already featured in the Caribbean Premier League, and was supposed to appear in the ILT20 this year, before the injury ruled him out.
He will join LSG for INR 3 crore.
