Mitchell Starc among foreign players who won’t return when IPL resumes, Jos Buttler to miss playoffs

By Canadian Press on May 16, 2025.

NEW DELHI (AP) — Australia pacer Mitchell Starc is among the foreign players who will not return when the Indian Premier League resumes this weekend, while England batter Jos Buttler will miss the playoffs because of the rescheduling.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru on Saturday in the first game since the IPL was suspended a week ago because of the escalated cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, with a total of 17 matches left to be played.

Starc has informed the Delhi Capitals that he will not be back for the rest of the season. Buttler, meanwhile, is set to leave the table-topping Gujarat Titans after the league stage has been completed to play for England against West Indies in a white-ball series from May 29.

The Capitals are currently fifth in the table with 13 points from 11 games and still in the running for a spot in the knockout rounds. The 35-year-old Starc has been crucial to their season, picking 14 wickets at an average 27.79 in 11 games.

Delhi’s attacking opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who only managed 55 runs in six outings, will also not return. Both Starc and Fraser-McGurk played in the Capitals’ match against Punjab Kings in Dharamsala on May 8, which was abandoned in the first innings due to a security blackout in northwestern India.

Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman has been brought in to replace Fraser-McGurk.

Buttler has scored 500 runs in 11 games for the Titans, including five half-centuries, and is the fifth-highest run-getter this season. The Titans have signed Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis as Buttler’s replacement for the knockouts. Mendis will be making his maiden IPL appearance, having played in the Pakistan Super League for Quetta Gladiators until the PSL was also suspended on May 7.

Pacer Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals), and all-rounders Sam Curran (Chennai Super Kings) and Jamie Overton (Chennai Super Kings) are the English players who won’t be returning at all. Both Rajasthan and Chennai have already been eliminated.

The IPL was originally scheduled to finish on May 25, with the final now expected to the played June 3.

Several South African players will also leave once the league stage ends, with the IPL franchises allowed to sign short-term replacements.

___

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

The Associated Press