Colossal update on Jonny Bairstow's IPL 2024 availability amid England players' controversial exodus

England batter Jonny Bairstow will be playing the full season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. As per the reports in the PTI, it is learned that the keeper-batter will be available for all the games of Punjab Kings in the tournament.

With Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 around the corner, various England players have pulled out of the tournament due to personal reasons. Jason Roy, Mark Wood, Ben Stokes, and Harry Brook have made themselves unavailable for the tournament.

There were a lot of clouds looming over the availability of Jonny Bairstow, especially with other England players pulling out. The keeper-batter however, will be playing the whole season. As per the reports, there were discussions between BCCI and ECB related to the availability of the England players after the Test series against India.

An IPL source revealed that Jonny Bairstow will be arriving in India on March 18th or 19th and will be available for the Punjab Kings’ first game against Delhi Capitals. Speaking to the PTI, the source stated:

“Bairstow is expected to arrive in India on March 18 or 19 and will be available for the team’s first game against Delhi Capitals on March 23.“

Jonny Bairstow being available for the all-season will be a huge boost for the Punjab Kings. The keeper-batter has been a beast in the white-ball cricket for whatever team he has played for and his presence will help Shikhar Dhawan-led side get their balance.

Jonny Bairstow missed the last season of the IPL for Punjab Kings due to injury. His absence was quite evident as the team struggled to get going at the top order. They tried several options but didn’t seem to work. However, this time around, they won’t be facing that problem.

The duo of Shikhar Dhawan and Jonny Bairstow will be one of the most lethal opening pairs in the IPL. Both being experienced with a huge amount of international experience, Punjab Kings will be one of the favorites to win the league. The keeper-batter has been a beast in the IPL as well. He has played 39 games in the tournament and has scored 1291 runs to his name at a strike rate of over 142. He also has slammed 9 fifties and 1 one hundred.

Apart from the development of Jonny Bairstow, Punjab Kings to play two home games in Dharamshala

Apart from the development of Jonny Bairstow, the reports also said that Punjab Kings will be playing their last two games at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Although the official confirmation hasn’t been there but things will be like last season.

Punjab Kings will be playing most of their home games in the new stadium built in Mullanpur, Mohali. Since 2014, the franchise hasn’t been able to qualify for the playoffs. They would be hoping to change their fortunes this time around and win their maiden title in the league. They have some quality players in their ranks and have covered almost every base in the IPL.