CSA Requests IPL Players to Return on May 26
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has required all South African players who took part in the IPL 2025 to go back home before May 26 to prepare themselves for the WTC final match against Australia to be held from June 11 at Lord's. This directive impacts 20 South African cricketers who are presently in the IPL, out of which eight have been picked for the WTC final squad: Corbin Bosch, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Tristan Stubbs. CSA is holding negotiations with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to ensure the premature release of these players, underlining the relevance of national commitments
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Cricket South Africa (CSA) has gone ahead and announced that it is insisting on its Indian Premier League (IPL) players returning back home by May 26. The move follows as the South African squad prepares for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, set to start on June 11 at Lord's.
There are 20 South Africans in the IPL 2025. On 13 May, CSA named eight of them for the WTC final team. They are Corbin Bosch, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Tristan Stubbs.
CSA had initially concurred with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL management that players would return on May 26, given the fact that the IPL final was initially planned for May 25. This period provides players sufficient time to recharge before departing for England on May 30. The head coach of CSA, Shukri Conrad, assured that this arrangement remains in place and that CSA anticipates having the players back on the scheduled date.
The process has been further complicated by a revised IPL calendar due to a week's delay which was caused by border tensions. As a result, the league stage of the tournament will now finish on May 27 and play-offs begin on May 29. Due to the fact that there could be some teams still in the middle of games when CSA wants players back, negotiations between CSA, BCCI, and IPL officials are ongoing.
SRH, who have been eliminated from the playoffs, can hope to have players like Wiaan Mulder back as soon as May 26. The Lucknow Super Giants, who are still fighting for a spot, will play their last match on May 27. Till then, the South African players selected for the WTC final have been asked to report in Arundel, England, on May 31. They will have a warm-up match against Zimbabwe from June 3 to June 6 before traveling to London on June 7 for the final.
Besides the eight players selected to play for the WTC final, there are South Africans left behind in the IPL like Dewald Brevis, Faf du Plessis, Donovan Ferreira, Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Anrich Nortje, David Miller, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, and Heinrich Klaasen. The IPL resumes on May 17 after the week's break.
CSA is holding on to its commitment that the players need to return by May 26, even though the final decision will depend on negotiations that are ongoing with the BCCI and IPL officials. CSA is keen on adhering to its plan so that the players have adequate time to prepare for the WTC final.
