Picture Credit: IPL
In a big development ahead of the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), England batter Jason Roy has decided to pull out of the competition citing the challenge of staying in a bio-secure bubble for a prolonged period. It is being reported that Roy, who was included by the Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans at the IPL Auctions in February for his base price of 2 crore, had already told the franchise last week.
While the Titans have been looking for a replacement, they haven't yet finalised one. The 31-year-old English cricketer was in sensational form in the recently-concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL). Even though the T20 competition in Pakistan was also played within a bio-secure bubble, it was a shorter tournament and Roy only featured on 6 games and yet managed to be among the top-10 run-getters of the competition, scoring 303 runs at an average of over 50.
It is pertinent to note that this isn't the first time that Roy has decided to not play the Indian Premier League even after finding a buyer at the auction. Previously in IPL 2020, Roy was included by Delhi Capitals but then he had pulled out for personal reasons. Had Roy played for the Titans, it was set to be his fourth team in the IPL, with him having played for Gujarat Lions, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad before.
Meanwhile, IPL 2022 is set to commence on March 26 with the final scheduled on May 29. Owing to the increased risk of the transmission of COVID-19 with travelling, the entire league stage of the blockbuster competition is being staged in Maharashtra. Although a decision on the venue for the playoffs is yet to be taken, a few reports have suggested that the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is the frontrunner to be named the venue for the same.
With 10 teams, more matches and an exclusive 2-month window for the event, it won't be surprising to see a few more withdrawals for mental health and bio-bubble fatigue reasons amid an already packed international cricket calendar.