IPl 2024: File photo of Sunil Gavaskar© BCCI/IPL
The IPL 2024 playoffs started on Tuesday with Qualifier 1 between Kolkata Knight Riders and SunRisers Hyderabad. KKR missed the services of their fiery opener Phil Salt in their clash. Salt hails from England. It’s not only KKR, other like Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will be missing some England players in the playoff stage. The reason for that is that England players have left India to join the national side before the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The decision was slammed by former India cricketers Sunil Gavaakar and Irfan Pathan. Now, former England captain Michael Vaughan defended the decision.
“If you are going back to represent your country, which England players have done, I think that’s fair enough. They are playing a series against Pakistan. The England players wouldn’t have gone back if it wasn’t for the Pakistan series,” Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
“The series was on the calendar. With English cricket, the defence of the 50-over World Cup was a poor one by England here in India. So I think, Jos and his team, 5 games against Pakistan, they get together. The actual lead-up to the 50-over World Cup wasn’t perfect either. There were a lot of swaps and changes. They have now gone back to 5 matches, get all the squad together, work on a bit of culture, everyone playing their right roles, I think it will give them a better chance.”
Punjab Kings’ all-rounder Liam Livingstone on Monday returned to England from the ongoing IPL to undergo a knee recuperation ahead of the next month’s T20 World Cup. Along with Livingstone, Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Will Jacks and Reece Topley (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) also have left the IPL to join England squad ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan, beginning on May 22.
Other player who had left were – Moeen Ali (CSK), Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow (PBKS).
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