IPL 2023: Mark Wood set to leave Lucknow Super Giants camp for birth of his daughter, return not confirmed

Following Lucknow Super Giants' loss to Gujarat Titans, the franchise confirmed that Mark Wood, their speedster, is set to fly back to England for the birth of his daughter. Late on Sunday night, the development was posted by LSG on their social media channels along with a video of Wood speaking about his situation. In the video, Wood expressed his hope to return for the final stages of the tournament but said that nothing was set in stone at the moment.

"For the birth of my daughter. So, sadly, but for a good reason to go home. Hopefully, I might be able to come back and hopefully, you will be able to see me again. I am sorry that unfortunately I have not played more and in the four games that I have managed to play, I have managed to get a few wickets and hopefully, I can charge in again," the England speedster said.

Impressive season

Mark Wood had an impressive start in the current Indian Premier League 2023 season, taking 11 wickets in just five matches. His outstanding performance came in the season opener against Delhi Capitals, where he picked up a five-wicket haul and mesmerized the crowd with his blistering pace.

"It's a great team togetherness here. I really love the team, the backroom staff are fantastic and it has been great to see the lads do well over different parts of the tournament," Mark Wood said in the video.

"One last push and get into those playoffs and make it to the finals. That's the goal and as a group, we understand that. It is tough in sports, you win some and you lose some but the lads are training hard. There are some fantastic characters in the group and they really try everything for your team. So keep believing and back them up, and I am sure they'll come good," Wood concluded.