In what comes as a major blow to some Indian Premier League (IPL), especially Rajasthan Royals, England’s national team’s players will not be participating in the playoffs of the 2024 IPL, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed.
England’s 15-member squad for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup was announced on Tuesday (30 April), with the same set of players also selected for a four-match T20I series against Pakistan, which will commence on 22 May. With the IPL entering its knockout phase on 21 May, a total of eight players across five franchises will not be competing in the playoffs.
Selected players, currently playing in the Indian Premier League, will return in time for the series against Pakistan, which gets underway at Headingley on Wednesday 22 May 2024.England & Wales Cricket Board
Rajasthan Royals are among the five teams who will rue the absence of English players, as they will not have the services of Jos Buttler – their opening batter who has scored 319 runs in IPL 2024 so far, including two match-winning centuries whilst chasing. Having already won eight of their nine fixtures, Rajasthan are likely to be among the four teams in the playoffs.
In terms of numerical comparison, Punjab Kings will miss the most number of players – three – albeit they are not among the favourites to make it to the playoffs. The same can be said about Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who will miss Will Jacks and Reece Topley should they make it to the playoffs, albeit the chances of such an occurrence are slim.
Besides those teams, Kolkata Knight Riders will miss Phil Salt, who is currently the leading run-scorer from overseas players with 398 runs in nine matches. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings’ Moeen Ali will also not take any part in the playoffs.
Which Teams Will Miss Whom?
Chennai Super Kings – Moeen Ali
Delhi Capitals – None
Gujarat Titans – None
Kolkata Knight Riders – Phil Salt
Lucknow Super Giants – None
Mumbai Indians – None
Punjab Kings – Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone
Rajasthan Royals – Jos Buttler
Royal Challengers Bengaluru – Will Jacks, Reece Topley
Sunrisers Hyderabad – None
England vs Pakistan T20I series schedule:
1st T20I – 22 May 2024, Headingley, Leeds
2nd T20I – 25 May 2024, Edgbaston, Birmingham
3rd T20I – 28 May 2024, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
4th T20I – 30 May 2024, The Kia Oval, London
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