Not everything in the Indian Premier League (IPL) makes it to the broadcast. For all the strategy talks and post-match clichés, there are moments behind the scenes that rarely come out. Occasionally, a player speaks up and you get a glimpse of how intense, and sometimes bizarre, life inside the league can be. Mark Wood has just done that.
Speaking on BBC’s Strategic Timeout podcast, the England fast bowler shared a story from his IPL stint where a franchise owner went to extraordinary lengths to get him on the field despite him being seriously ill.
Bizarre IPL owner’s story
Wood revealed that he had been down with a high fever midway through a season, barely able to function, when the calls from the franchise owner began.
“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.” The situation clearly wasn’t improving, but that didn’t stop the follow-ups.
“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.”
What came next, though, caught even Wood off guard. The desperation to have him available went beyond medical care.
“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.'” Yes, the plan was exactly that. Fly him in, make him play, and fly him straight back to recover.
What did Mark Wood do?
Wood thought about the offer for a brief period of time. That says a lot about how popular the IPL is and how much pressure players feel to show up. He even called his father to talk it through before eventually deciding against it and prioritising his health.
Mark Wood, who is considered one of the most fearsome pacers of this generation, has had only brief stints in the IPL. Speed is sexy and that’s why Wood commanded interest from IPL teams. However, regular injuries hampered his career. He played one game for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2018 and later turned out for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022. He missed the 2022 season due to an elbow injury.
Next 2023 season was particularly memorable. He picked up 11 wickets in just four matches and looked in red-hot form before his campaign was cut short. He did not name the franchise or the owner in the podcast. However, given that his most substantial IPL run came with Lucknow, it could be the incident dates back to that phase of his career.
‘I’ll send a private plane’: Mark Wood reveals wild IPL owner offer during illness Inside Sport India.
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