3 Promising Indian pacers who are set to miss IPL 2023
The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) kicks off in less than a week, and many of the stars from India and the rest of the world have joined their respective franchises.
IPL 2023 is expected to be even more exciting thanks to the return of the home-away format for all teams, as fans from across the country get set to watch their stars from close quarters in the stadiums.
The league also plans to implement several innovations such as the Impact Player rule, DRS for wides and no-balls, and field restriction penalties for slow over rates.
However, the build-up to the tournament has also been marred by injuries to some of the star players. Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Jonny Bairstow will all be sidelined by injuries and will miss the entirety of IPL 2023.
There could also be a few young and promising Indian pacers who are likely to miss out due to injury. India's pace bowling department has been one of the biggest revelations, particularly over the last decade, with the team improving tremendously in producing several highly skilled fast bowling resources.
Here's a look at the three upcoming Indian pacers that are set to miss this year's IPL.
#1 Prasidh Krishna
Bengaluru-born Prasidh Krishna has been one of the most impressive fast bowlers over the last few years, with his strong performances for Karnataka in various domestic competitions and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL.
He was selected to represent the Indian ODI side for the home series against England in 2021, where he took four wickets on his debut, helping the Men in Blue win by 66 runs.
The youngster went on to play 14 ODIs for India and picked up 25 wickets at an impressive bowling average of 24. However, just as he was getting settled into international cricket, Krishna suffered a stress fracture injury.
The injury forced Prasidh Krishna out of action since the Zimbabwe tour in August 2022, and he has been advised to undergo surgery and rehabilitation for a complete recovery.
The speedster was particularly impressive in the IPL a year ago, picking up 19 wickets and helping the Royals reach the final.
The Rajasthan Royals confirmed that owing to his ongoing recovery process, Krishna would be out for IPL 2023 and later added Sandeep Sharma as his replacement. Krishna's absence could greatly hinder Rajasthan's chances of repeating last year's success.
Although Sandeep has been a proven IPL performer for several years, he is mainly effective in the powerplay overs and can be a liability in death overs.
# 2 Mohsin Khan
Left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan impressed everyone in IPL 2022 with his impeccable lines, lengths, and ability to bowl effectively at any stage of the innings.
The Lucknow Super Giants picked him up at the auction for the 2022 season, and the Uttar Pradesh-born seamer did not disappoint when given the opportunity.
He finished the season with 14 wickets from just nine matches at a magnificent average of just 14 and an economy of fewer than six runs per over. Mohsin's height and quick arm action during release had batters uncomfortable. He was a vital cog in Lucknow's resurgence in the second half of the IPL and helped them qualify for the playoffs.
However, the left-arm fast pacer has since been injured, suffering a left shoulder injury. The 24-year-old underwent surgery last year and is yet to resume bowling.
Mohsin is currently part of the Lucknow camp and is batting in the nets but has not yet been cleared to bowl as he is still strengthening his bowling shoulder.
His absence will be a severe loss to the second-year franchise, as facing left-arm pacers has been an Achilles heel for most batters. The franchise hope that he will be able to play later in the tournament if deemed fully fit.
#3 Mukesh Choudary
Left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudary was one of the key bowlers for the Chennai Super Kings a year ago when he picked up 16 wickets in 13 matches. In the absence of Deepak Chahar due to injury, Mukesh took over the role of picking up early wickets in the powerplay.
However, the 26-year-old pacer from Rajasthan has been suffering from a back injury since December 2022 and has been sidelined since, missing the Ranji Trophy as well in the process.
As per reports, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan doesn't have much hope of Mukesh playing in this year's IPL. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Viswanathan said:
“We are waiting on Mukesh but we do not have much hope. He was one of our bowling mainstays last year. It will be unfortunate if he misses out.”
With their mainstay over the years, Dwayne Bravo, already retiring post last year's IPL, Mukesh's absence will further dent CSK's fast bowling arsenal as they look to turn it around from last season's disappointment, where they finished ninth in the points table.