Conway’s injury forces him out of IPL, prompting CSK to include Richard Gleeson in their squad

In February, Conway suffered a thumb fracture during a T20I match at home against Australia.

Devon Conway, the wicketkeeper-batter for the Chennai Super Kings and New Zealand, will be out for the entirety of the 2024 Indian Premier League due to injury. Richard Gleeson, an England fast bowler, has been signed by CSK to their team as his substitute.

During the second Twenty20 International match between Australia and New Zealand in February, Conway sustained a fracture to his left thumb joint. Conway underwent surgery after that, and CSK had hoped to have him back for the second part of the IPL in May. However, he has now missed the entire season due to injury.

Conway, who scored 672 runs in 15 innings with a strike rate of little under 140 and an average of 51.69, was a key player in CSK’s 2023 IPL victory. Conway also took home the Player-of-the-Match trophy after scoring 47 runs in a rain-soaked three-day T20 final against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad.

The sole backup to MS Dhoni at CSK is Ravelly Avanish, the wicketkeeper for the India Under-19 team, because to Conway’s injury-induced absence.

But the arrival of Gleeson might help CSK bridge the gap left by Mustafizur Rahman’s departure. With 10 wickets, the Bangladeshi left-arm seamer is now CSK’s leading wicket taker. The BCB has given the player permission to participate in the IPL till May 1.

Gleeson, 36, is a late bloomer who debuted professionally at Northamptonshire at the age of 27. In the T20 Blast of 2016, he then became Northamptonshire’s second-highest wicket-taker with 14 strikes in 10 games at an economy rate of less than six.

At the age of 34, Gleeson made his debut for England on the international scene in 2022 at Edgbaston when he removed Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Rishabh Pant in the first eight deliveries of a Twenty20 match. This summer, he intends to make the earth his home.

RICHARD GLEESON – THE NEW SUPER KING OF CHENNAI 💥 pic.twitter.com/H3kWZq5k4E

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 18, 2024

Although Gleeson hasn’t played in the IPL previously, he has played for the Manchester Originals in the Hundred, the Rangpur Riders in the BPL, the Melbourne Renegades in the BBL, the Super Giants of Durban in the SA20, and the Gulf Giants in the ILT20.

Gleeson has played 90 T20 matches overall and has amassed 101 wickets at an economy rate of 8.18.

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