Barring few Australians, majority of overseas players to return for IPL 2025

Most overseas players, barring a few Australians, are set to return for the IPL when it resumes on Saturday (May 17). Among those who confirmed participation include Pat Cummins, who is set to lead Australia in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord's from June 11. The league had to be paused briefly due to tensions at the border.

"We are talking to all our players at the moment. They are all making their decisions tonight. I think many will return," Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg told Cricbuzz on Tuesday (May 13). There were 16 Australian players in the IPL, this season. But some of them, like Glenn Maxwell, had returned due to injuries. Josh Hazlewood is another name in the injury list.

An earlier statement from the CA said, "CA will support players in their individual decisions whether to return to India or not. Team management will work through preparation implications for the World Test Championship Final for those players who choose to play in the remaining IPL matches."

Cricbuzz has learned that Cummins, the captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad team, has agreed to come back. So has Travis Head, the explosive Australia and SRH opener. With the Sunrisers not having a chance to reach the play-offs, they have only two matches to play - versus Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow on May 19 followed by the Kolkata Knight Riders in Delhi on May 25. The two will return home after the final two league engagements.

Elsewhere, the situation is the same. All overseas players of Gujarat Titans, including South Africans Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee, will be available for all league games. The Titans have a huge chance of qualifying for the play-offs and whether they will remain in India till the final on June 3 is still not known.

"This will be addressed by the Director of National Teams and High Performance, Enoch Nkwe. I'll revert with the update asap," a spokesperson for Cricket South Africa told Cricbuzz. Rabada has not left India and Coetzee is expected to return on Wednesday (May 14). Former England captain Jos Buttler, among the top five scorers of this season, will also be back in Ahmedabad in the next 24 hours.

Hazlewood, the Australian pacer, though will not return to India. He seems to have an injury issue and Royal Challengers Bengaluru sources have revealed to the website that Hazlewood will not be available for the rest of the matches. Other RCB overseas players like Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Nuwan Thushara, among others should return.

There is a bit of a dilemma over the return of another Australian as well, Mitchell Starc. The pacer is believed to be rattled by the turn of events, including a 10-hour bus and train journey from Dharamsala to New Delhi following suspension of the game between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals on May 8. He, along with other Australians involved in the two teams, were learnt to be disturbed.

Jake Fraser-McGurk of DC was apparently totally disturbed by the Dharamsala developments and he is unlikely to come back to India. However, other overseas players in Delhi Capitals, like Faf du Plessis and Tristan Stubbs, are expected to take part in the rest of DC campaign. DC are in with a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

PBKS are unsure about Josh Inglis and Marcus Stoinis. Inglis has been picked for the WTC final and whether the encouragement from CA will have any impact is to be seen. As of Tuesday, PBKS do not have confirmation from Inglis and Marcus Stoinis. Other overseas players in PBKS are expected to be available for the rest of the team's campaign.

Chennai Super Kings have assurances from most overseas players, including Devon Conway, that they would return. The return of Rachin Ravindra, though, is not confirmed. Like SRH, CSK are out of contention for a play-off berth and they have left it to players whether to return or not.

Most non-Australian overseas players, apparently, are around India holidaying in Dubai and Singapore and Maldives, and they are expected to return. KKR management is hopeful most of their overseas recruits will return and teams like Mumbai Indians would not discuss the subject because of strategic reasons.