Matthew Short, the 27-year-old Victorian all-rounder, has joined the Punjab Kings as a replacement for Jonny Bairstow, who will be unable to participate in IPL 2023 due to a leg injury. Short is the second Australian player in the Punjab Kings squad this season, alongside fast bowler Nathan Ellis.
Short’s impressive performance in the 2022-23 Big Bash League earned him the Player of the Tournament award. He scored over 450 runs with a strike-rate of 144, primarily while opening the batting. Short also proved his worth as a defensive spinner, taking 11 wickets at an economy rate of just over seven runs-per-over.
Although his team, the Adelaide Strikers, did not make the playoffs, Short’s outstanding contributions did not go unnoticed.
Cricbuzz previously reported that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) refused to issue a No Objection Certificate to Jonny Bairstow, who recently underwent surgery for a broken leg and ankle. As Bairstow was still in the rehabilitation phase and England had a busy schedule ahead across formats, the ECB decided to rest him.
The Punjab Kings will commence their season on April 1 by hosting the Kolkata Knight Riders at the PCA Stadium in Mohali.