New Zealand Cricket Chief David White has confirmed that the New Zealand cricketers who are a part of the IPL teams will be available for the second half of the season, which is scheduled to be played in the UAE. They will miss the series against Pakistan that is due to be played during the same time.
The second half of the 2021 season of the IPL is all set to kickstart on the 19th of September, and the final will be played on the 15th of October. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starts on the 17th of October. Even that will be played in the UAE, and a few initial matches are likely to be played in Oman as well.
With such a short turnaround and a hectic cricketing calendar ahead in addition to the international fixtures during that time, cricket boards around the world have been sceptical about their country’s players’ availability for the second half of the IPL. A lot of boards don’t want their players to burn out before a mega ICC event as well.
England’s managing director Ashley Giles had already said that the contracted England players won’t be available for the second leg of the IPL. Bangladesh have denied their players from participating in the second half of the IPL as it collides with their international calendar while Australian players are also in doubt.
However, New Zealand Cricket’s chief confirmed that the New Zealand cricketers who are a part of various IPL franchises will take part in the UAE leg of the IPL 2021. New Zealand are scheduled to tour Pakistan just before the T20 World Cup, but the IPL stars will miss that series in order to participate in the IPL, which could also act as preparation for the mega T20 World Cup.
“New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, James Neesham, and Lockie Ferguson will feature in the second phase of the IPL 2021 in the UAE instead of the Pakistan series,”
David White was quoted saying by GeoTV.
Eight New Zealand players are a part of different franchises – Kane Williamson (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Trent Boult (Mumbai Indians), Adam Milne (Mumbai Indians), Mitchell Santner (Chennai Super Kings), Lockie Ferguson (Kolkata Knight Riders), Tim Seifert (Kolkata Knight Riders), Kyle Jamieson (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and Finn Allen (Royal Challengers Bangalore).
It was understood that last month, most of the Kiwi cricketers expressed their interest in returning back to their respective IPL franchises for the second half of the IPL. One of the big reasons for them to express this interest was that the IPL and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup are scheduled to occur at the same venues. Hence, playing in the IPL would help the players understand and acclimatize to the conditions really well before the mega ICC event.
The BCCI is still in talks with the other cricket boards around the world for the availability of their players for the remaining IPL games.
The BCCI recently released the schedule for the second half of the IPL and defending, and five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians take on arch-rivals and three-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings in Dubai.
