The second half of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) is all set to commence on September 19 in the UAE, if reports are to be believed. If the tournament goes ahead with this schedule, the Australian players are unlikely to participate in the competition.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL Governing Council unanimously decided on May 4 to halt the tournament considering the safety of the players in mind. The decision came after a couple of bio-bubble breaches with cricketers and support staffs testing COVID19 positive. Ever since the tournament came to a premature halt, speculations have been going around when and where will BCCI host the remainder of IPL 2021.
As things look now, the competition will run from September 19 to October 10. The remaining 31 matches of IPL 2021 will be split into 10 double headers, 7 single headers, and 4 playoffs, which will be fit into the 21-day window the BCCI hopes to create before the ICC T20 World Cup.
Australian cricketers to miss the 2nd half of IPL 2021
The Aussies have a jam-packed international schedule in the next couple of months leading to the ICC T20 World Cup. They are set to travel to the Caribbean islands to take on West Indies in five-match T20I series, with few of their players already not traveling due to bio-bubble fatigue and various other personal reasons. Pat Cummins, David Warner, and Daniel Sams are the ones missing from the 23-members squad.
Australia are also set to tour Bangladesh as chairman of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Akram Khan confirmed. The two teams will play five T20Is in August. With such a packed schedule, it seems less likely that the Australian players will participate in the remainder of IPL 2021.