England pacer Mark Wood recently opened up about his experience in the IPL. Wood opened up about a specific incident where he was pressured to play in a match by the team owners despite being ill.
Wood has had a constant struggle with injuries throughout his career, which has limited his potential in playing in T20 leagues across the world.
Key Points
- Mark Wood revealed IPL owner pushed him to play while ill
- Owner offered a private jet to get him to match
- Wood said he couldn’t get out of bed
- Incident shared on BBC podcast
Mark Wood claims the team owner offered to send him two private planes
Wood was talking on the BBC’s ‘Strategic Timeout’ podcast while narrating his experience. He did not name the owner, but said that the supremo was practically moving heaven and earth to get him to play.
“I wasn’t very well after about five games, and the (next) game was in about three days’ time. Every half an hour, the doctor would stay back, come to my room, check on my vitals.”
“I remember one day the owner ringing me, ‘How’re you feeling? Ready to go?’ and I said, ‘Honestly, I’ve eaten and drunk nothing, I still can’t get out of bed’. He went, ‘We’ll get you another doctor, we’ll do this and that’,” revealed Wood.
The pacer went on to talk about how the owner had offered him two private planes – one to the game and one from it – in order to aid his recovery.
“Next day, it’s the owner again, ‘How are you feeling?’, and I said, ‘Honestly, I’m still not good’. He then said, ‘I’ll send a private plane, you get in the plane, play the game. Then I’ll get the plane straight back out and get you back to your bedside,” Wood added.
Wood’s IPL career
Wood has played in only two seasons across his IPL career, and both have been for different teams.
In 2018, Wood joined the Chennai Super Kings but played only one match for them. He conceded 49 runs in three wicketless overs, but got to watch his team lift the title mostly from the sidelines.
Wood’s second stint in the IPL came with Lucknow Super Giants in 2023. In that season, he played 4 matches and took 11 wickets, including a five-wicket haul, before leaving near the end to attend the birth of his daughter.
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Mark Wood’s current injury and future plans
Mark Wood has not been in action on the cricket field since picking up a knee injury during England’s disastrous Ashes run Down Under in late 2025.
He had had surgery on his left knee earlier last year, but it doesn’t seem to have helped.
On the same podcast, he said that he was trying to be cautious and return to bowling for England later this year.
Across all three formats of international cricket, Wood has taken 253 wickets in 146 matches since making his debut in 2015.
Mark Wood was a part of the legendary England white-ball contingent that won the ODI World Cup in 2019 and the T20 World Cup in 2022, making England the first men’s team to hold both World Cups simultaneously.
FAQ
- What did Mark Wood reveal about IPL?
He said a team owner wanted him to play despite being ill. - What did the owner offer?
A private plane to travel for the match and return immediately. - Did Mark Wood name the owner?
No, he did not reveal the identity.
