England speedster Mark Wood recently recounted a bizarre yet amusing episode from his IPL stint, describing how an IPL franchise boss once proposed sending him on a private jet just so he could take part in a match—despite Wood being seriously ill at the time.
How Wood’s illness turned into a private-jet pitch
- Wood said he started feeling unwell around the time he had already played roughly five matches in the season.
- He explained that the next appearance was scheduled only about three days later, leaving little time for recovery.
- According to his account, the franchise response was intense: a doctor would remain on standby and come to his room every half hour to check his vital signs.
- As Wood’s condition did not improve, he described a direct call from the team owner asking whether he was ready to go for the game.
- Wood told how he was honest about his state—saying he had been unable to get out of bed even after eating and drinking—and the owner responded with promises to bring in more medical support.
- When Wood still wasn’t fit the following day, the owner escalated the plan further, telling him he would be flown by private aircraft to the venue, play the match, and then be taken straight back to his bedside.
- Wood said he briefly entertained the surreal idea, even phoning his father to ask for advice about the private-plane proposal.
- He added that his father reacted with concern—pointing out that Wood did not sound well enough to attempt it—but Wood’s reply was essentially framed around the novelty of the offer.
- In the end, Wood decided not to play, though he admitted that for a moment he was struck by how extraordinary the situation felt.
The fast bowler, who later shared the story with listeners on the BBC’s Strategic Timeout podcast, said that in that brief window he thought, “This is the coolest thing that’s probably ever happened to me,” before ultimately choosing against taking the field.
Wood’s IPL record has been limited so far, with spells for Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. In total, he has taken 11 wickets across five matches.
