Windies sensation Shamar Joseph to make IPL debut for Lucknow Super Giants

West Indies pace sensation Shamar Joseph, who had an unforgettable debut Test series against Australia earlier this year, will be part of the upcoming IPL season. Joseph, 24, on Saturday, was named the official replacement of England seamer Mark Wood in the KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) squad.

"Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) named Shamar Joseph as replacement for pacer Mark Wood for the upcoming edition of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Joseph will join LSG for INR 3 Crore. This will be Joseph's first stint in the IPL," a statement published on the official website of the Indian Premier League read.

In January, Shamar Joseph made a massive entry at the international stage when he shrugged off injury to bowl at express pace for nearly 12 overs straight in Brisbane, claiming 7-68 as West Indies stunned Australia by eight runs to get their first test win Down Under since 1997. 

Australia had been cruising towards the victory target of 216 early on day four of the day-night second test until an injured Joseph, playing his first test series, returned to the field and shocked the world champions with a fiery showcase of fast bowling. Joseph saved his best for last, uprooting the off-stump of tailender Josh Hazlewood (0) with sheer speed before dashing across the Gabba outfield, thumping his chest in celebration with his teammates. 

Native to the remote village of Baracara in Guyana, Shamar toiled hard to make his dream of playing cricket on the professional stage come true. 

ALSO READ | The Shamar Joseph story: Guyana boy who used fruits for ball, quit security job to become cricketer

Meanwhile, it remains unknown at the moment why Englishman Mark Wood decided to pull out of the cash-rich T20 league. Wood is part of the England team touring India for a five-match Test series and very much in the mix of things -- ruling out injury concerns.