Devon Conway, the opener for New Zealand and the Chennai Super Kings, will miss the first half of the next IPL 2024 season due to a thumb injury.
The left-handed Conway, named player of the match in the IPL 2023 final against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad last year, suffered a thumb injury during the just-finished T20I series with Australia at home.
As a result, the 32-year-old was excluded from the current two-match Test series. This week, Conway is scheduled to have surgery.
Official Statement by NZC
"Following several scans and specialist advice, the decision was made to operate on Conway with a likely recovery period of at least eight weeks," New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced in a statement.
"We're all feeling for Devon; he's a huge part of the BLACKCAPS and we'll miss him both on and off the pitch," Kiwi head coach Gary Stead said.
Who can replace Conway?
Conway is likely to miss the first leg of the IPL, which begins in Chennai on March 22. Royal Challengers Bangalore will play the defending champions CSK at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in the inaugural match.
Conway's absence will require CSK to reshuffle their lineup, as the southpaw previously had a dangerous partnership at the top with Ruturaj Gaikwad. Conway scored 924 runs in 23 games over his two seasons with the Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, averaging 48.63 and striking at a 141.28 strike rate. Having hit nine fifty-score runs in 16 matches, including a fast-bowling 47 in the championship game, he was CSK's top run scorer in 2023 with 672 runs.
Rachin Ravindra, another Kiwi batsman who was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings this year during the mini-auction for 1.8 crore could be a great replacement for Conway. Rachin Ravidra’s incredible performance in the ICC World Cup 2023 caught everyone's eyeballs.
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