The IPL 2025 (Indian Premier League) resumption might be on the cards as India and Pakistan declared a ceasefire on Saturday. However, the return of foreign players remains a major concern, with most of them already back home amid the tension between India and Pakistan.
A majority of Australian players have returned to their country due to the circumstances. While the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) might be planning to resume the tournament as soon as possible, Cricket Australia (CA) has decided to support players who refuse to travel back to India, aiming to defend their rights during these challenging times.
Additionally, the report mentioned that some Australian coaching staff members are still present in India, including the likes of Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin.
“Shaken Australian players will be defended by Cricket Australia should they refuse to return to the Indian Premier League on safety grounds, Fear and anxiety remained prevalent emotions among Australian players, as all made their way home from the IPL, leaving the likes of Ricky Ponting and Brad Haddin among coaching staff still in India,” a report stated, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.
“Not just safety issues, the players are also concerned about the prospect of ‘being pressured to return to the tournament and then frozen out of future editions of the IPL should they choose not to.’ In that light, CA will defend the rights of players to make their own calls about returning to the IPL on a case-by-case basis, taking the view that their decisions should not be held against them for the future,” the report concluded.
IPL 2025 final set to be shifted from Kolkata to Ahmedabad
Marsh shines with bat, Hazlewood dominates with ball
Speaking of some top-performing Australian players in the IPL, the Lucknow Super Giants opener Mitchell Marsh is currently the top run-getter among the Aussie batters, with 378 runs from 10 matches at an average of 37.80. Josh Hazlewood has taken 18 wickets while playing for RCB and is the third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament so far.
