Royal Challengers Bangalore have suffered a big injury blow even before the start of the sixteenth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023). Their English recruit Will Jacks has been ruled out of the competition owing to a thigh injury.
The highly-rated England allrounder sustained the injury while fielding during the second ODI against Bangladesh earlier this month. While it was expected that he would recover in time for the IPL 2023, the scans and subsequent consultation with a specialist has forced him to miss what could be his maiden IPL campaign.
In December last year, RCB had secured his services for INR 3.2 crore. Will Jacks would have been a good back-up for veteran allrounder Glenn Maxwell.
RCB star Will Jacks’ meteoric rise:
Will Jacks has made a huge progress in his career in recent months. In the last 6 months, he has made his debut for England in all the three formats and has already been plying his trade in franchise leagues. In the inaugural season of the SA20, he was the 6th highest run-scorer, scoring 270 runs at an average of almost 39 and a stunning strike-rate of 201.
Overall, the England star has scored 2802 runs in 102 T20 innings at an average of 30 and a brilliant strike rate of 158. He is also a handy off-spinner and has picked up 26 wickets so far.
The muscle injury is a big blow not only for RCB but also for Will Jacks. It has not only dashed his hopes of playing in the IPL this year but has also denied him of the opportunity to get accustomed with Indian conditions and push his case for selection in England’s squad for the 50-over World Cup later this year.
Meanwhile, the much-anticipated IPL 2023 is scheduled to begin on March 31 with a clash between reigning champions Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. As far as RCB are concerned, they will open their campaign against Mumbai Indians on April 2.