Melbourne: Matthew Wade will miss at least the first two matches of the IPL 2024 for Gujarat Titans as the wicketkeeper-batter will be playing in the Sheffield Shield final for Tasmania from March 21 to 25.
This edition of the IPL is scheduled to begin from March 22.
Last year’s finalists Titans will play their first match against Mumbai Indians March 25 and their second game is against Chennai Super Kings March 27, and Wade will not be able to figure in them.
However, the left-hander could be available for selection for Titans’ third IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad March 31.
“He’s spoken with his IPL franchise and they’re happy to allow him to stay here, which probably equates to him potentially missing their first game,” Tasmania head coach Jeff Vaughan told reporters in Hobart.
“We feel very fortunate to have someone of Matt’s ilk coming back into our group, and his experience and his performances at the back end of our season,” said Vaughan.
Wade was part of GT’s title-winning run in IPL 2022 where he played 10 matches, scoring 157 runs at a strike rate of 113.
But the 36-year-old did not play a single match in the previous edition as Wriddhiman Saha was preferred for the role of wicketkeeper-batter.