Pace bowler Mitchell Starc arrived in Sydney on Sunday with his wife, cricketer Alyssa Healy. He chose not to speak to the media at the airport, but his manager later told Nine News that Starc may skip the rest of the IPL season if it restarts. Fellow Australian Marcus Stoinis also returned and briefly said that “everyone is fine,” though he didn’t comment on whether he or others would head back to India.
Australia’s leading cricketers have arrived back home amid growing doubts about whether the Indian Premier League (IPL) will resume. With rising regional tensions and changes to the tournament schedule, several players and officials are quietly expressing concerns about returning to India.
The IPL was put on hold for a week after Thursday night’s match between Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings in Dharamsala was abandoned. The game was called off due to air raid warnings in nearby areas, which unsettled players and raised safety concerns. Reports say that some Australian players had already been wary of playing in that region.
While talks are ongoing about when the tournament might resume, Cricket Australia is said to be supporting its players' freedom to decide whether they want to return. According to The Age, the board has made it clear that any player’s decision will not affect their future chances in the IPL or their relationship with the Indian cricket board (BCCI).
Meanwhile, the BCCI is keeping a close eye on the situation. The board’s secretary said on Saturday that government approval will be needed before the IPL can continue. So far, no new start date has been announced.
Schedule congestion for Australian players
Among Australian cricketers, Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Travis Head are scheduled to fly to the UK soon for the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s, followed by a three-Test series in the West Indies.
As such, it remains to be seen whether the UK-bound players will return to India to take part in the remainder of the tournament, which is set to be pushed beyond the original schedule, too.
