Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) superstar Pat Cummins is unlikely to return for the 2nd half of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021). The news comes after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that they will host the remaining matches in the UAE.
BCCI and IPL Governing Council unanimously decided 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.
KKR dealt with Pat Cummins blow for remaining IPL 2021 games
While the fans welcomed the return of the cash-rich league, Kolkata Knight Riders were dealt with a massive blow. Pat Cummins, who has been a vital cog in their line-up has confirmed that he will not travel to the UAE for the remaining 31 matches, a report in the Morning Sydney Herald suggested.
“David Warner and Pat Cummins could be rested from the West Indies tour because of family reasons – others could follow after a draining year in several bubbles – and Cummins, despite a multimillion-dollar IPL contract, has already said he will not return to the T20 tournament this season,” stated the report.
Australia have a couple of limited-overs lined up against West Indies and Bangladesh leading to the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to take place later this year in India.
Pat Cummins was in brilliant for the Knight Riders before the tournament was postponed. In the seven games, the Aussie quick picked nine wickets and scored 93 runs including a half-century. But he couldn’t steer his side’s performance as they toil in the second-last position of the points table with only two wins from seven outings.
Previously, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has also intimated that they won’t leave English cricketers for remaining part of IPL 2021.