Australian Stars Face Dilemma as IPL Resumes with Compressed Schedule
Cricket Australia (CA) has announced its full support for players who choose to skip the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. The decision comes in the wake of the BCCI's updated schedule to resume the tournament, which was postponed last week due to tensions surrounding the India-Pakistan conflict.
Fifteen Australian cricketers are currently part of various IPL franchises, with five named in the national squad for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final scheduled from June 11 to 15 at Lord’s. The condensed IPL schedule now sees 17 matches being played over 17 consecutive days, starting Thursday, with the final pushed from its original May 25 date to June 3.
-SCHEDULE CLASH WITH WTC FINAL RAISES CONCERNS
The updated IPL schedule directly affects players preparing for the WTC Final. With the IPL final now just eight days before the marquee Test clash, players like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Josh Inglis—who are in contention to play the Playoffs—may have minimal time for red-ball preparation.
In a statement, Cricket Australia emphasized its flexible stance:
> "Cricket Australia will support players in their individual decisions whether to return to India or not,” a spokesperson said.
> “Team management will assess the impact on WTC Final preparations for those opting to continue in the IPL. We're also in ongoing discussions with the Australian Government and BCCI regarding player safety and security measures.”
WTC-BOUND PLAYERS: WHO MIGHT STAY BACK?
The five Australian players named in the WTC Final squad include:
- Pat Cummins
- Travis Head
- Mitchell Starc
- Josh Hazlewood
- Josh Inglis
Of these, Cummins and Head are not expected to feature in the IPL Playoffs, easing their WTC preparations. Starc, Hazlewood, and Inglis, however, remain active in the tournament and could face a tight turnaround if their teams reach the Playoffs.
FULL LIST OF AUSTRALIANS IN IPL 2025
Here are the Australian players participating in IPL 2025:
1. Pat Cummins
2. Travis Head
3. Mitchell Starc
4. Josh Hazlewood
5. Josh Inglis
6. Marcus Stoinis
7. Mitchell Marsh
8. Mitchell Owen
9. Xavier Bartlett
10. Aaron Hardie
11. Nathan Ellis
12. Spencer Johnson
13. Tim David
14. Jake Fraser-McGurk
FINAL WORD
Cricket Australia’s flexible approach allows its players to weigh their IPL commitments against national duties. With the WTC Final fast approaching, individual decisions over whether to return to IPL action or prioritize Test preparations are expected in the coming days.
