It has been confirmed that Jonny Bairstow will miss IPL 2023 due to a freak injury which he suffered before T20 World Cup 2022. It will be a big blow for Punjab Kings, who actually relied on him for both wicket-keeping and batting.
Here are 3 players who can replace Jonny Bairstow in Punjab Kings for IPL 2023:
1. Kusal Mendis
Kusal Mendis can be a good replacement for Jonny Bairstow. He can be an additional option for wicketkeeping too as Jitesh Sharma is also available for that role. While Shikhar Dhawan’s responsibility would be to build Punjab Kings’ innings, Kusal Mendis could hit big from the start.
2. Tom Kohler-Cadmore
Tom Kohler-Cadmore was in good form in the recently concluded PSL. Being a big-hitter, he can do what Jonny Bairstow used to do for the team. Shikhar Dhawan is known to take it slow at the start of an inning and Tom Kohler-Cadmore
would be a good opening choice when it comes to big-hitting.
3. Jason Roy
As per reports, PBKS have already approached Jason Roy for replacing Jonny Bairstow in the team. Roy had a brilliant show in the PSL 2023. In recent years, Roy’s game against spin has improved and he would more or less be a like-to-like replacement for Bairstow.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 is all set to take place from March 31 with a match between the defending champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. The match will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.