David Willey withdraws from IPL 2024; Lucknow Super Giants announce Kiwi Pacer as his replacement

English seamer David Willey has pulled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), citing personal reasons. David Willey’s decision prompted the Lucknow Super Giants to bring in New Zealander Matt Henry as his replacement, according to league officials.

David Willey was anticipated to miss the initial matches of the LSG team in the IPL 2024. However, the left-arm pacer will now be absent for the entire tournament. His departure marks the second exit of an English player from Lucknow this season, following Mark Wood.

Willey announced his retirement from international cricket after the 2023 ODI World Cup, where England failed to advance to the playoffs. The left-arm pacer was bought by the Lucknow-based franchise for Rs 2 crore during the IPL 2024 player auction last December.

Matt Henry Replaces David Willey For IPL 2024

The Lucknow Super Giants have recruited Matt Henry as a replacement for David Willey in the IPL 2024. The IPL’s official website confirmed the news, stating that the New Zealand pacer will join the LSG squad for a base price of INR 1.25 crores.

“Lucknow Super Giants pick Matt Henry as a replacement for David Willey,” the statement on iplt20.com read.

“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 Henry comes in as a replacement for the England all-rounder, David Willey, who has withdrawn from the tournament due to personal reasons. Henry joins in at his base price of INR 1.25 crores,” the statement added.

Matt Henry’s Experience In Professional Cricket

Matt Henry was previously signed by both the Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, making LSG his third franchise in the league. He played two matches for the Punjab Kings in 2017, where he claimed one wicket with an economy rate of 14.2.

The 32-year-old has showcased his skills across various formats, representing New Zealand in 25 Tests, 82 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), and 17 T20 Internationals (T20Is). The right-arm pacer has secured 95 wickets in Tests, 141 wickets in ODIs, and 20 wickets in T20Is.

Additionally, Henry has participated in a total of 131 T20 matches, amassing 151 wickets with an economy rate of 8.39, showcasing his experience and effectiveness in the format.

The KL Rahul-led team finds itself at the bottom of the table with a net run rate of -1.000, having lost their first match to Rajasthan. Amidst seven teams already securing victories, Lucknow is eager to register their first win and initiate a turnaround in their campaign.

The Lucknow team will take on the Punjab Kings in their next match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Saturday, March 30.

Lucknow Super Giants 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.

Also read: Watch: Comical drop! David Willey and Usman Khan make a mess of a simple catch in PSL 2024