This was communicated by BCCI: that the IPL 2025 shall commence on May 17, following a stoppage due to rising tensions on the India-Pakistan border, and then culminate with the final on June 3. The rest of the matches were to be held at six venues: Bengaluru, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad, with 17 matches on the calendar, inclusive of two Sunday double-headers.
This revised schedule is great for the fans and teams who want to see the tournament through to its conclusion, but it poses challenges for some overseas players, with the extended IPL schedule now clashing with international fixtures, particularly the ODI series between England and the West Indies from May 29 to June 3 and the WTC final between Australia and South Africa, starting June 11 at Lord’s.
Players such as Romario Shepherd (RCB), Shamar Joseph (LSG), and Sherfane Rutherford (GT) are to remain part of the West Indies ODI team, clashing with the IPL playoffs; while England’s squad remains to be announced, potential affected players depending on their team performances include Jos Buttler (GT), Phil Salt (RCB), Liam Livingstone (RCB), Will Jacks (MI), and Reece Topley (MI).
Then South African and Australian players involved in the WTC final make this even more complicated. Among them will be the likes of Pat Cummins and Travis Head (SRH), Mitchell Starc (DC), Josh Hazlewood (RCB), Marco Jansen (PBKS), and Kagiso Rabada (GT) and they will have to work out an intricate schedule for both the IPL and international cricket.
In recent news, Cricket Australia has named their WTC final squad giving players the leeway to choose whether to participate taking into consideration their workload and priorities at the IPL. It was said that they would back the players whether they decided to return to India or stay there for the IPL.
Meanwhile, from May 30, the India A team starts its tour of England, and since this overlaps with the resumption of the IPL, it has become yet another hurdle for Indian players who would have otherwise played in both events. Franchises kid that they are really attempting to piece their teams back together, having lost a number of overseas players when the break hit. Gujarat Titans might have an advantage with the majority of overseas players still in India, while the others wait on the return of their stars.
