England Stars to Miss IPL Playoffs for Pakistan T20Is
Buttler, Salt, Moeen Ali to Depart Early as Top Teams Affected
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will be calling all of the England T20 World Cup-bound players to feature in the four-match T20I home series against Pakistan starting on May 22. This means that players like Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Moeen Ali will miss the playoffs of the current IPL. May 21 marks the start of the IPL playoffs, while May 26 marks the final.
The choice is probably going to have an impact on Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Salt (Kolkata Knight Riders), and Moeen (Chennai Super Kings), as each of their teams is in a good position to make the playoffs given the current IPL standings.
The England Cup roster also includes Will Jacks (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone (all three from Punjab Kings), however their ranks are low in the points standings.
The England players may also be ineligible for their respective teams' final group-stage matches since they are anticipated to return home on the weekend of May 18–19. The Royals and Knight Riders will play in Guwahati during the group round of this IPL, which runs until May 19.
Rob Key, the general director of England men's cricket team, informed the players included in the initial World Cup roster on Monday that they would not be available for the playoffs, especially those involved in the Indian Premier League. Buttler and Salt have both played a significant role in the Royals and KKR holding the top two spots in the league standings, respectively. In the business end of this IPL, their absence can be detrimental to the involved franchises.
However, after missing a year due to injury, pacer Jofra Archer has returned to form and was included in the Cup squad. Additionally, rookie all-rounder Tom Hartley, a spinner, was included in the preliminary group of 15 players.
In a T20I series against Bangladesh in March of last year, Archer made his England debut. The ECB stated, "Jofra has recovered from his right elbow injury and is named in the squad."
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