Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
With the 17th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) just days away, the Gujarat Titans have been handed a massive blow with a star Australian player missing the opening match. Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade is set to miss GT’s opening game of IPL 2024 to prioritise the Sheffield Shield.
The Australian batter, who is with the Titans for a price of INR 2.40 Crore, will be playing the Sheffield Shield final for Tasmania. Tasmania are assured of a place in the Shield decider and are highly likely to host the match in Hobart to clinch their first title since 2012-13. Check the top betting trends on the best betting apps in India and sites.
Wade has notably informed his IPL franchise that he will miss the opening game as the Sheffield Shield final will be played from March 21 to 25. Moreover, if the final goes into the final day, Wade is likely to miss GT’s second game where they take on Chennai Super Kings on March 26.
“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,” the Tasmania Head Coach Jeff Vaughan told reporters in Hobart.
“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,” he further added.
The 36-year-old has been with the Gujarat Titan since their title-winning run in IPL 2022 where he played 10 matches, scoring 157 runs at a strike rate of 113. Wade notably did not feature in any match in the IPL 2023 for the Titans, where they finished as the runners-up.
Speaking of GT’s 2024 edition, the Shubman Gill-led side will open their campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 24.
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