Australia’s T20 World Cup winner Matthew Wade will miss the start of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season due to his commitment to Sheffield Shield for Tasmania.
As announced on Friday (Mar 8), Wade will miss the season opener for Gujarat Titans against Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday (Mar 24), while he is also doubtful for the second match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Wade’s unavailability will be a boost for Tasmania who will compete in the Sheffield Shield final from March 21- 25.
Wade to IPL season opener
“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,” 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.”
Wade has been one of the best T20 players in the Australia circuit and contributed to the team’s run to glory during the 2021 T20 World Cup. He smashed three consecutive sixes during the semifinal match which punched Australia’s ticket to the final. He returned to Tasmania having spent time with Victoria and has been instrumental in the team’s success.