David Willey, the English seamer, has withdrawn from the current Indian Premier League (IPL) due to personal reasons. Lucknow Super Giants have named Kiwi pacer Matt Henry as his replacement.
David Willey’s absence from the LSG team’s initial matches in IPL 2024 was expected, but now it’s confirmed he’ll be missing the entire tournament. This marks the second departure of an English player from Lucknow this season, following Mark Wood and third overall after Harry Brook pulled out from the tournament due to personal reasons.
Lucknow Super Giants have made a new addition to their squad for the IPL 2024 season, bringing in Matt Henry to replace David Willey. According to the IPL’s official website, the New Zealand fast bowler will be joining the LSG team for a base price of INR 1.25 crores.
“Matt Henry, the New Zealand fast bowler, has signed with the Lucknow Super Giants for the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Henry comes in as a replacement for the England all-rounder, David Willey, who has withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons,” an IPL press release confirmed the development on March 30.
Renowned for his speed and precision, the fast bowler has been signed on at his base price of INR 1.5 crore. Henry, with 25 Tests, 82 ODIs, and 17 T20 Internationals under his belt for New Zealand, brings a wealth of experience to the team. He has been a significant contributor in T20 cricket, taking 151 wickets in 131 matches, showcasing an impressive average of 24.70 and an economy rate of 8.39, highlighting his effectiveness in the format.
Having previously represented Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, Henry’s addition is expected to strengthen the LSG’s bowling lineup, despite his limited appearances in the league.
After a crushing loss to the Rajasthan Royals, LSG finds themselves at the bottom of the table in the ongoing tournament. Their next challenge awaits against the Punjab Kings at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday, March 30th.
Updated LSG IPL 2024 squad:
KL Rahul (c), Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Kyle Mayers, Marcus Stoinis, Deepak Hooda, Devdutt Padikkal, Ravi Bishnoi, Naveen-ul-Haq, Krunal Pandya, Yudhvir Singh, Prerak Mankad, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra, Shamar Joseph, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, K. Gowtham, Shivam Mavi, Arshin Kulkarni, M. Siddharth, Ashton Turner, Matt Henry, Mohd. Arshad Khan.
