Matt Short, a star for Victoria and Adelaide Strikers, is expected to receive an IPL contract.
The only thing standing between a Victorian and Adelaide Strikers star and his first-ever IPL deal is an Englishman. See how to.
Victoria’s Matt Short is scheduled to join the Indian Premier League next month as the 14th Aussie, pending BCCI authorisation.
If the ECB provides the BCCI with convincing evidence of Englishman Jonny Bairstow’s season-ending injury, the Punjab Kings hope to replace him with the effective Short.
In September 2022, Bairstow fractured his leg horribly while playing golf.
Short, 27, has had a remarkable Australian summer with Victoria and the Adelaide Strikers in all three formats.
Only a few days after being crowned Big Bash League Player of the Tournament, he had three hundreds in his previous five innings for Victoria.
According to what is known, Punjab coach Trevor Bayliss and Bayliss’ assistant Brad Haddin delivered Short’s form to the Kings board, who subsequently started the replacement process.
While stating that nothing has been written yet, Short’s player manager Zach Whelan described how Victoria and the Adelaide Strikers’ support contributed to his success.
“On the IPL opportunity, any cricketer in Australia that plays white-ball cricket, the IPL is always at the back of their mind,” he said.
“I am absolutely rapt for him; it’s come from a lot of hard-work to get that opportunity and the backing of the Adelaide Strikers and Cricket Victoria.
“The support network around him, Jason Gillespie, Chris Rogers, Cameron White, it’s finally coming through for him.
“This opportunity, while it’s only a replacement opportunity at the moment, Matty will take it with both hands.”
Short, a Ballarat native, is the only Australian now eligible to participate in the IPL who has not already competed internationally.
