May 13, 2025: With the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season set to resume on May 17 after being suspended due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, the fate of many overseas players, especially Australians, has come under scrutiny. Concerns over safety, the extended IPL schedule, and the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final have left players weighing their options.
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The IPL, originally scheduled to end on May 25, will now conclude on June 3. This rescheduling has further complicated matters, as the final now falls just one week before the WTC final between Australia and South Africa, scheduled for June 11.
Several reports have suggested that pacers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc are unlikely to return to India for the remainder of the T20 league, while others, including Pat Cummins, Travis Head, and Josh Inglis, are still undecided.
Addressing the uncertainty, Cricket Australia (CA) has finally issued a statement, supporting its players’ right to make individual decisions regarding their participation.
“Cricket Australia will support players in their individual decisions whether to return to India or not,” CA said.
The board also confirmed that arrangements will be made to ensure players expected to join the WTC final squad can prepare adequately, regardless of their IPL commitments.
“Team management will work through the preparation implications for the World Test Championship final for those players who choose to play in the remaining IPL matches. We are maintaining communication with the Australian Government and BCCI around security arrangements and safety.”
This clarification comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instructed IPL franchises to ensure the return of overseas players once the tournament resumes.
While Hazlewood is confirmed to skip the rest of the season, all eyes are now on Starc, Cummins, and other key players as they navigate between franchise commitments and national duties.
As the countdown to IPL’s restart begins, the decisions made by top Australian cricketers could influence not only the outcome of the tournament but also their country’s WTC campaign.