IPL 2021: England players to be available for UAE leg - Reports

The franchises can breathe a sigh of relief as BCCI has confirmed the availability of England players in the Indian Premier League (IPL). England was set to tour Bangladesh for 3 ODIs and as many T20Is in September-October which would have clashed with the IPL, making the participation of England players very difficult. However, the series was indefinitely postponed to make room for England players to play in the IPL. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is now planning to stage the series after the T20 World Cup.

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The England players will now leave for UAE along with India players in the same charter plane. The five-match Test series between India and England will conclude on September 14, five days before the resumption of IPL.

The likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Moeen Ali have been an integral part of the IPL and their availability will add a lot of charm to the league. However, it remains to be seen if Ben Stokes, who has decided to take an indefinite break from all forms of cricket, will take the field for Rajasthan Royals or not. Stokes played only one game for the Royals before a finger injury ruled him out of the remaining matches.

“The English players will be available for the resumption of the IPL in the UAE. The BCCI has the green signal. This shows the brilliant working relationship that the secretary has with not just the ECB, but also the BCB,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by Free Press Journal.

While England and New Zealand players will be available to grace the showpiece event, it is yet to be seen if Australia and other boards allow their players to participate in the lucrative league. The BCCI, however, is in touch with cricket boards to ensure the availability of their players. If some overseas players are not available for the second leg, teams will be allowed to opt for replacements.