Mark Wood, an England speedster, will miss the IPL 2023’s championship round.

Mark Wood, a fast bowler for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), will likely miss the end of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) to be present for the birth of his daughter in late May. The English cricketer has been exceptional for the KL Rahul-led team this season, taking 11 wickets in four games, although he has missed LSG’s last two games due to illness.

Notably, he defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) in his IPL debut and finished with a 5/14 rating. The LSG have chosen the Afghan seamer Naveen-ul-Haq, who bowled accurate spells in his first two games, to fill up for him.

By the end of May, Wood and his wife Sarah are due with their second child, and the cricketer will fly back to his hometown to be there for the delivery. He probably won’t go back to India after that, though.

On April 28, LSG and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will square off at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. On May 1 and May 3, respectively, they will host Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

After the IPL 2023 championship, England will play Ireland in a special Test at Lord’s. Ben Stokes of CSK has previously said he would leave the IPL early to get ready for the forthcoming Ashes and the Ireland Test. Due to discomfort, Stokes hasn’t played for CSK since April 3. He does not, however, have a set return date at this time.

Other English athletes that are anticipated to feature in the IPL and the Ireland Test include Joe Root and Harry Brook. In the current IPL, Root has yet to play for the Rajasthan Royals (RR), while Brook has struggled to make an impact for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), save for one ton.

Jofra Archer, another well-known English player competing in the ongoing lucrative tournament, was re-added to the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) starting XI for the match against PBKS on April 22.