Jonny Bairstow to miss entire Indian Premier League 2023

New Delhi: Wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow could miss the entire upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 as England want him to take the gloves for his county side Yorkshire when he makes his return to first-class cricket, ahead of the Ashes starting from June 16.

"When it became clear that he would not be fully fit for the start of Punjab Kings' season on April 1, the franchise decided he would miss the campaign. A formal announcement is expected in the coming days," a report in The Telegraph said.

Bairstow had an not-so-great IPL 2022 season with Punjab, making only 253 runs from 11 innings, averaging just 23 at a strike rate of 144.57. Last year on September 2, he broke his left leg, suffered multiple fractures in left fibula and dislocated his ankle in a freak accident on a golf course. That incident forced the batter to miss England's victorious T20 World Cup campaign in Australia as well as the Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.

Before suffering the freak injury in 2022, Bairstow had slammed six centuries in 10 Tests, averaging 66.31 while batting at number five and six, including smashing twin centuries against India in the Edgbaston Test in July last year.

The report further mentioned that Bairstow will return to playing competitive cricket for Yorkshire through Division Two of the County Championship, though a date is not yet clear. IANS

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