Are you also wondering which international stars will return to India for the IPL and who will miss the cash-rich league’s final stretch? Don’t stress—we’ve got you covered.
Let’s start with the South African players. Gujarat Titans’ Kagiso Rabada, Lucknow Super Giants’ Aiden Markram, Punjab Kings’ Marco Jansen, Delhi Capitals’ Tristan Stubbs, RCB’s Lungi Ngidi, and Mumbai Indians’ Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch will all miss the playoffs as they need to return home by May 27 to begin preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
But here’s the good news: the South African players who aren’t part of the WTC final—like KKR’s Quinton de Kock and LSG’s David Miller—will stay on until the end of the IPL.
Now, coming to the Australians, who will face South Africa in the WTC final at Lord’s. Mitchell Starc has decided not to rejoin Delhi Capitals for the rest of the IPL. Jake Fraser-McGurk isn’t coming back either, and the participation of his replacement, Mustafizur Rahman, also remains uncertain.
However, Sunrisers Hyderabad will have Pat Cummins and Travis Head back in the squad. Not that they need to worry about the playoffs—their last game is on May 25, and they're already out of contention.
RCB might get a major boost as Josh Hazlewood is open to returning, although he’ll take a final call soon. He’s managing a lingering shoulder injury and is also in line to play the WTC final.
Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, and Tim David will return for LSG, PBKS, and RCB, respectively.
As for England, they are set to host the West Indies for an ODI series starting May 29. That means Jos Buttler will head back for GT and will be replaced by Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis for the playoffs. Will Jacks has also rejoined the Mumbai Indians, but could be replaced by Jonny Bairstow in the final stages.
Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, and Jacob Bethell have already arrived in Bengaluru ahead of the RCB vs KKR match. But will they stay on for the playoffs? That’s still uncertain. Other English players—Jofra Archer, Jamie Overton, Sam Curran, and Moeen Ali—are unlikely to return for the rest of the tournament.
Now let’s talk about the West Indian players. Sherfane Rutherford, who had remained with the GT squad, is expected to miss the playoffs as he’s been named in the Windies squad for the England series. On the other hand, KKR’s trio—Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, and Rovman Powell—will return to action.
New Zealand and Afghanistan players are available for the entire tournament. So, what do you think? Which teams are going to take the biggest hit? Is your favourite team one of them?
