Is Jonny Bairstow playing IPL 2023?

England batter Jonny Bairstow hasn’t played a single representative match since the second Test match against South Africa in Manchester last year. Been away from the sport for almost seven months now, Bairstow is unlikely to show up for the upcoming 16th season of the Indian Premier League.

Bairstow, 33, was in the middle of a titular role in assisting England to redefine Test cricket under head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes when a freak accident on a golf course ruled him out of major tournaments namely The Hundred 2022 and ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

In what was perhaps the only way to bring an end to Bairstow’s stupendous form, the right-handed batter was unsure with respect to the exact time frame for recovery whilst working as a pundit for Sky Sports during the World Cup in October-November.

Is Jonny Bairstow playing IPL 2023?

Whilst Bairstow is progressing on the way to recovery, it is now being reported that he wouldn’t be able to make it on time for the biggest T20 league in the world. With Ashes 2023 to be played just over a couple of weeks after the conclusion of IPL 2023, perhaps both Bairstow and ECB (England Cricket Board) don’t want to take any sort of risk.

According to The Guardian, Bairstow has started batting in the nets after returning to running outdoors last month. Having said that, even resuming training won’t allow him to partake in the IPL especially after undergoing a surgery comprising insertion of a metal plate.

UPDATE: Jonny Bairstow has been officially ruled out of IPL 2023.

Jonny Bairstow replacement

Bought by Punjab Kings for INR 6.75 crore during IPL 2022 auction, Bairstow would’ve played this season alongside English teammates namely Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran.

As far as replacing him is concerned, one expects Kings to confirm the same once he is ruled out officially. With less than 10 days left for the tournament to begin, it wouldn’t be too long before all of this happens.

If another report in Herald Sun is to be believed, uncapped Australian batter Matthew Short is in line to replace Bairstow at Punjab. Short, 27, opens the batting for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. Second-highest run-scorer in BBL 2022-23, the right-handed batter’s 458 runs across 14 innings had come at an average and strike rate of 35.23 and 144.47 respectively including a century and two half-centuries.

Assuming that PBKS sign Short, it wouldn’t be the first time for them to select an uncapped Australian opener. It is noteworthy that Kings buying former Australia batter Shaun Marsh during the inaugural season of the tournament in 2008 had reaped excellent rewards for both the parties.

UPDATE: Matthew Short has replaced Jonny Bairstow at Punjab Kings for IPL 2023.