Cricket Australia (CA) has left it to the players who are willing to return to India after the BCCI announced a revised Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) season schedule. The T20 league will restart on May 17, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The IPL 2025 season will resume exactly one week after it was suspended due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.
However, following a ceasefire between both Asian nations, BCCI, with the Indian government's approval, has decided to restart the IPL, with 17 games left to be played. Some of the Australian players like Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Marcus Stoinis, and Travis Head have returned to Australia. Starc and Stoinis are most likely not to return. Now, CA has left it to players to decide whether to go to India to play the remainder of the matches.
"Cricket Australia will support players in their individual decisions whether to return to India or not. 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," said CA.
IPL 2025 to resume on May 17, Aussie stars likely to be unavailable due to WTC Final
Apart from various Aussie players expressing concerns regarding the war-like situation between India and Pakistan, there is also the World Test Championship (WTC) finale for Australia Test players, which begins on June 11. IPL 2025 final is to be played on June 03, barely one week separates the two events.
Several Aussie stars are in a pickle. Pat Cummins (SRH), Travis Head (SRH), Josh Inglis (PBKS), Mitchell Marsh (LSG), and Mitchell Starc (DC) are involved in the IPL 2025 season. Among those, Cummins and Head's team is already out of playoff contention. However, other players' teams are in contention, and all players, barring Marsh, are named in the WTC final squad.
Also Read: WTC Final 2025: Cameron Green returns from injury as Australia announces squad for WTC final
