Devon Conway’s expected absence from play until at least May has handed a setback to the Chennai Super Kings ahead of their title defence. It was confirmed that Conway would be having surgery on his left thumb this week. Conway was the player of the match in the final against Gujarat Titans last year. He will be out for at least eight weeks.
Due to a thumb injury sustained during the recent Twenty20 International series against Australia, the 32-year-old was unable to participate in the first Test match. The choice to proceed with surgery was taken after consulting with doctors. Conway is expected to miss more than half of the tournament, which is scheduled to begin on March 22 and run by the end of May, since his recuperation is expected to take at least eight weeks.
Conway’s replacement for the first Test match against Australia, Henry Nicholls, will now play in the second match as a member of the squad. As for Neil Wagner, his dreams of playing his final Test match were dashed when it became apparent that he would not be called up to the team to replace the injured Will O’Rourke. Due to a left hamstring issue, the fast bowler would require at least two weeks out.
Ben Sears, who has 58 wickets in 19 first-class games, has claimed his place in the New Zealand side. Sears has played T20Is for New Zealand, including the most recent series against Australia, although he has yet to play a Test. “Ben’s a young bowler with a good skill set,” head coach Gary Stead stated. “He bowls with genuine pace and gets good bounce, which is always a plus in red ball cricket.” We’ve been quite impressed with his efforts for the BLACKCAPS in white ball cricket this summer and believe he’s capable of stepping up to the Test arena if called upon.”
