Shreyas Iyer, the captain of the Punjab Kings, has given a strong warning to cricket fans over the uncertainty surrounding the availability of international talent for the Indian Premier League 2025 return. When the competition was halted for a week because of the India-Pakistan conflict, most international stars went back to their home countries.
Mitchell Starc, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, and Jamie Overton are among the international players who will not be going back to India for the rest of the competition. For the rest of the league, the teams are permitted to sign players on short-term contracts by the BCCI. They cannot, however, be retained before the 2026 campaign.
In a video that Punjab Kings shared on social media, two men discussed the unpredictability of foreign players like Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, and Josh Hazlewood's availability. Iyer, on the other hand, joined the two and delivered a powerful message about the true nature of the IPL.
"The guys who you are talking about are really talented. But you should remember this is 'Indian' Premier League," Shreyas said.
In order to encourage its players who are headed to the WTC final to adhere to their initial plan of going home, Cricket South Africa has refused to grant them prolonged no-objection certificates. The players selected for the crucial match against Australia have been instructed by the cricket board to return home after May 25. They will not be able to attend the playoffs or the championship game.
The same is true for players from England. Starting on May 29, they will play the West Indies in a white ball series that will conflict with the playoffs. The players selected for the squad will be called back by the ECB.
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Pacer Josh Hazlewood, who is also a member of Australia's WTC final team, is recovering in Brisbane from a shoulder ailment and will return to Bengaluru for the knockout stages. Despite Sunrisers Hyderabad's elimination from playoff contention, captain Pat Cummins and opening batsman Travis Head will return.
In the first match since the IPL was postponed a week ago, Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru will play the Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru on Saturday.
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