New Zealand and the Chennai Super Kings will not be able to play in the first half of the upcoming IPL 2024 season.
During the recently concluded T20I series against Australia at home, the left-handed Conway, who was named player of the match in the IPL 2023 final against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad last year, injured his thumb.
As a result, the 32-year-old was excluded from the current two-match Test series. This week, Conway is scheduled to have surgery.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed in a statement that “the decision was made to operate on Conway with a likely recovery period of at least eight weeks following several scans and specialist
advice.”
“Everyone is sympathetic to Devon. Kiwi head coach Gary Stead continued, “He’s a huge part of the BLACKCAPS and we’re going to miss his presence both on and off the pitch.
Conway is expected to miss the first eight weeks of the IPL, which is scheduled to start in Chennai on March 22. In the inaugural match of the tournament, Royal Challengers Bangalore will play the defending champions CSK at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
Conway’s absence will require CSK to rearrange their lineup; the southpaw and Ruturaj Gaikwad had previously formed a potent combination at the top. Conway amassed 924 runs in 23 games over just two IPL seasons with the Super Kings, averaging 48.63 and striking at a 141.28 strike rate. He has nine fifty-strikes and was CSK’s top run scorer in 2023 with 672 runs from 16 games, including a scorching 47 in the championship game.
Prior to the third Test, New Zealand has secured Henry Nicholls as a replacement for Conway. The Kiwis also decided against having seamer Neil Wagner come back from retirement, opting instead to use uncapped Ben Sears in place of the injured William O’Rourke.
