Delhi Capitals Suffer Crushing Blow as Star Foreign Player Can Miss IPL 2025

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has been left in disarray since Friday after it was suspended because of mounting regional tension between India and Pakistan. While the tournament was suspended for a week, there is a mounting worry over the participation prospects of certain foreign players in the tournament in the future, like Mitchell Starc, who is an Australian pacer representing Delhi Capitals. India Sources near the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have informed that the IPL may be resumed as early as May 16, although the last match may be postponed to May 30.

Mitchell Starc, one of the richest foreign IPL players, is said to be not likely to return to India even if the tournament resumes. Starc and his wife Alyssa Healy were back in Sydney soon after the IPL suspension, not eager to discuss the incident with the media. His employer finally revealed that Starc may no longer play for the IPL if it resumes. This is not a lone decision on Starc's part since most of Australia's best players are contemplating boycotting the remainder of the IPL season. Pat Cummins and Travis Head, valuable members of their respective teams, are also weighing the option to remain in Australia to concentrate on preparation for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against England at Lord's on June 11.

Cricket Australia (CA) has been more than supportive of their players' choices, with the governing body set to help those not returning to the IPL. The move has left eyebrows raised over the foreign stars' availability, particularly since most of the players and support staff members had already departed from India within minutes of the interruption in play. The logistical difficulty of returning these foreign players to India is becoming a gigantic issue. Most New Zealand players have returned home already, and the South African cricket board is still considering whether its players can remain beyond May 25 when the No Objection Certificate (NOC) runs out.

The confusion regarding the overseas players' availability has put many IPL teams in a fix. For instance, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has both lost and possibly benefited from the break in the tournament. RCB skipper Rajat Patidar had hurt a finger in the early part of the tournament and would have missed a few matches. But the mid-season IPL break has afforded him an opportunity to recuperate and be fit again and play for the team, at the right time to play in the playoffs. The RCB administration is taking their time over Patidar's rehabilitation, and hopefully, he will be back for the rest of the matches, as well as the probable India A tour of England.

With the IPL season still being interrupted in the wake of geopolitical tensions, thoughts are now turning to how the league will operate in the light of these changes. Even though the tournament can as well be back a few days later, without the services of Starc, among others of the stars, there will be another uncertainty to worry about, particularly for the teams depending on their presence. BCCI and cricket boards both would have to move fast on how to deal with such a loss so that they could keep operating the league as near to normal as it possibly can.

Suspension of IPL 2025 has brought in yet another degree of uncertainty for both players and franchises. The problems regarding player safety and international travel now are real and should not be underestimated. The coming days will do a great deal to decide how the IPL will go forward and if some of the marquee players will return to complete what so far has been a dramatic and eventful season. With time running out, teams are also considering how they will manage without their foreign stars, perhaps even changing their strategy to guarantee their own survival within the competition.