Picture Credit: ECB
Since the suspension of IPL 2021 after only 29 matches, there have been talks that the tournament will resume later this year. BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla had also stated earlier that the Indian Premier League was not cancelled. He had clarified that it had only been postponed in light of the COVID-19 situation and will resume whenever possible. If the board actually manage to get a window for conducting the remaining 31 matches later this year, it seems like they will have to continue without some of the overseas star players.
England have a busy calendar: Ashley Giles
England men's director of cricket, Ashley Giles has now claimed that it would be really difficult for their players to take part in the tournament if it resumes this year. He said, "None of us knows what a rearranged IPL looks like at the moment; where it's going to be or when. But from when we start this summer against New Zealand, our programme is incredibly busy."
Notably, England are scheduled to tour Pakistan and Bangladesh [in September and October] and Giles has clarified that he would want all the players to be available for those series. The 48-year-old also mentioned that they have got a lot of important, high-profile cricket including the T20 World Cup and the Ashes lined up this year. Considering the fact that ECB have been looking carefully after their players in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is very unlikely that they would allow any of their players to take part in the resumption of IPL.
How many England players were a part of IPL 2021?
Notably, as many as 14-star players would be unavailable for the franchises whenever the tournament resumes. While Kolkata Knight Riders will lose their skipper Eoin Morgan, Rajasthan Royals will have to play without their star player Jos Buttler. The other players who could be absent are: Moeen Ali and Sam Curran (Chennai Super Kings), Tom Curran, Chris Woakes and Sam Billings (Delhi Capitals), Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Dawid Malan and Chris Jordan (Punjab Kings). Meanwhile, the RR trio of Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Liam Livingstone, who had pulled out of the tournament makes it 14 England players, who are expected to be unavailable for the remainder of IPL 2021.