English batter Jonny Bairstow will most likely miss this year's IPL after the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) refused to grant him a No Objection Certificate (NOC).
Bairstow, who underwent surgery on his broken leg and dislocated ankle after a freak slip at a golf course last September, is yet to return to competitive cricket. According to reports in the English media, the ECB isn't willing to risk his fitness ahead of the Ashes in June,
While Bairstow's unavailability is a blow for the Punjab Kings, they will be boosted by the return of Liam Livingstone, who has been given the all-clear to play in the T20 extravaganza.
Livingstone, who had a stop-start 2022 season due to multiple injuries last year, has been now declared fit. He was part of the Lancashire's off-season training sessions in Dubai recently.
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(With PTI inputs)