Matthew Wade set to miss the start of IPL 2024 to be available for the Sheffield Shield final

Veteran wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade aims to aid the Tasmania side in securing their first Sheffield Shield title in 10 years and is prepared to sacrifice a minor chunk of his Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 campaign for the cause.

Wade, who represents the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL, will miss the franchise's season opener against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on March 25 since the Sheffield Shield final, for which Tasmania have already qualified, will run from March 21-25.

GT's next set of matches are against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 27 and March 31, respectively.

Wade has sought permission from GT to play the Sheffield Shield final, which has since been approved as well, despite the start of the IPL season overlapping briefly.

"He's spoken with his IPL franchise and they're happy to allow him to stay here, which probably equates to him potentially missing their first game. We feel very fortunate to have someone of Matt's ilk coming back into our group, and his experience and his performances at the back end of our season," Tasmania head coach Jeff Vaughan told reporters in Hobart.

Wade scored 32 and 5 runs in the first and the second innings, respectively, in Tasmania's recent 57-run win over his former side Victoria.

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Matthew Wade has been part of the Tasmania setup since the 2017-18 season

A veteran in first-class cricket with 164 appearances to his name, beginning from his debut in 2007, Wade brings a lot to the table with his skillset and experience. The wicketkeeper was part of the Victoria setup, before switching to Tasmania - the place of his birth ahead of the 2017-18 season.

Wade managed to score a valiant hundred in the final for Tasmania in his maiden season, but it came in vain as Queensland ended up winning the title.

Tasmania's sole loss in the ongoing Sheffield Shield campaign came against the New South Wales. They secured the top place after amassing five wins and three draws with one last contest against South Australia, which is set to begin on March 11, while the race for the second finalist is still on. A win in their final league-stage game will ensure Tasmania play the final in home conditions in Hobart

Scott Boland, who is currently part of the Australia squad in New Zealand, could also be released to play the virtual knockout clash between the second-placed Victoria and the third-placed Western Australia to conclude the Sheffield Shield league stage.