England opening batter Alex Hales has opted out of the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League, citing bubble fatigue and the need to look after his mental health.
The 33-year-old announced his decision on March 11 as the attacking opener felt wary of excessive burn-out staying in the IPL biosecure bubble for more than two months.
“Having spent the last four months away from home in restrictive bio-bubbles and testing position for Covid myself, I don’t feel as though I can commit myself to another extended period in a secure environment,”
he said in a statement issued over his official Twitter handle.
Kolkata Knight Riders paid INR 1.5 crores for the Englishman at the mega auction held in Bangalore last month, hoping to boost up their vulnerable looking top-order. A last-minute declaration of unavailability would have dismayed the two-time winners but their think-tank seems equally respectful of Hales’ decision to prioritise his mental health.
“We respect Alex Hales’ decision of choosing family and mental well-being over his participation in the upcoming season of the IPL. Bubble-life isn’t easy, and a number of players around the world have shared their views on this topic. We will miss having him in the Galaxy of Knights this season, but we wish him all the best,”
said KKR’s CEO Venky Mysore.
As Hales mentioned, the stint with KKR was indeed being looked at as one of his best opportunities. Dropped by England on the disciplinary ground back in 2019, the right-hander has become a free agent who plies his trade in leagues around the world. But the chance to play the Premier League in his current form had been an elusive one.
Hales was first picked to play in the league back in 2015 for Mumbai Indians but didn’t get a game. He then turned out for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018 for only six matches and made 148 runs with a strike-rate of 125.42. In the recent edition of the Pakistan Super League for Islamabad United, he made 355 runs at a strike-rate of 147.30.
In PSL for United, and the Big Bash League for Sydney Thunders, Hales has relished role clarity and consistency of game time to produce some of his best T20 knocks. Similar assurity with KKR was expected to see the best of Hales in the IPL, but sadly, the cricketer will miss the tournament entirely now.
Hales’ ouster from the scene has given Australian limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch another chance to play the IPL as he becomes KKR’s direct replacement for the England opener. This will be Finch’s ninth IPL franchise. The journeyman right-hander has had sporadic success in the league and has never really found a settled home in any of the franchises.
Finch will be desperate to change that by resurrecting his indifferent record in the IPL: 85 games, 2,005 runs at an average of 25.70 with a strike-rate of 127.70.
KKR, IPL 2021 runners-up, will kick-off their 2022 campaign on the opening day (March 26) with the repeat of the summit clash last year against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai.
