IPL 2023: RCB's Will Jacks ruled out with muscle injury

England all-rounder Will Jacks has been ruled out of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) due to injury. Jacks was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for INR 3.2 crore at the IPL Player Auction in December last year. 

Jacks sustained a muscle injury while fielding in the second ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur. The young all-rounder has been forced to pull out of IPL 2023 after scans and consultation with a specialist earlier this week. It might be a major blow for the cricketer as he had hoped to participate in the tournament to familiarise himself with Indian conditions and get a chance to feature in England’s squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India later this year.

According to a report in ESPNcricinfo, RCB have been in discussions with New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell as a potential replacement for Jacks. Bracewell was unsold at December’s auction after having entered with a base price of INR 1 crore. Notably, he did not have previous experience in the Indian T20 league.

Will Jacks made his ODI debut on tour to Bangladesh

Apart from Jacks, RCB signed his teammate Reece Topley at the auction. Topley was on the bench during the white-ball tour to Bangladesh due to a minor niggle. However, he is expected to be fit in time for the start of the season. Jacks made his ODI debut for England on the tour and played the first two ODIs before suffering an injury. Notably, Jos Butler-led England clinched the ODI series by 2-1. 

Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore will open their campaign in IPL 2023 against Mumbai Indians on April 2 at their home ground, M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The 16th edition of the IPL will begin on March 31, with the opening match to be played between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. 

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