Starc among foreign players who won’t return when IPL resumes, Buttler to miss playoffs

NEW DELHI (AP) — Australia pacer Mitchell Starc is among the foreign players who will not return when the Indian Premier League restarts this weekend, while England batter Jos Buttler will miss the playoffs because of the rescheduling.

Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Bengaluru on Saturday in the first game since the IPL was suspended a week ago because India and Pakistan were firing missiles at each other. A ceasefire and government clearance means all 17 remaining matches will be played but the IPL will finish on June 3, nine days later than originally planned.

That spills into foreign tours and matches. England is hosting Zimbabwe and the West Indies, Bangladesh is going to Pakistan, and the World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa starts on June 11 at Lord’s.

Cricket South Africa has denied its players extended no-objection certificates, and they must return home after May 25. Cricket West Indies has granted extended NOCs to its players until the IPL’s end on June 3.

Starc, the Delhi Capitals’ leading wicket-taker, has told the team he will not return. Neither will Australia and Delhi teammate Jake Fraser-McGurk.

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Starc and Fraser-McGurk are understood to have been shaken by the abrupt suspension of the league. They were part of the Delhi-Punjab Kings match in Dharamsala on May 8, which was abandoned after 10.1 overs amid air raid alarms in a security blackout in north-west India.

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, also in Australia’s WTC final squad, is rehabbing a shoulder niggle in Brisbane and will rejoin Bengaluru for the knockouts.

Australia skipper Pat Cummins and opening batter Travis Head will rejoin Sunrisers Hyderabad, despite the team out of playoffs contention.

Buttler has scored 500 runs in 11 games for the league-leading Gujarat Titans, including five half-centuries. The Titans have signed Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis for about $90,000 as Buttler’s replacement in the knockouts. Mendis will make his maiden IPL appearance, having played in the Pakistan Super League for Quetta Gladiators until the PSL was also suspended on May 7.

Bengaluru’s English players Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell have already returned. But countrymen Jofra Archer and allrounders Sam Curran and Jamie Overton won’t be returning. Their teams, Rajasthan and Chennai, can’t make the knockouts.

In light of players’ unavailability, IPL officials have allowed franchises to sign players on short-term contracts for the remainder of the league, but these players cannot be retained ahead of the 2026 season.

Punjab signed New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson for about $230,000 in place of compatriot Lockie Ferguson, who injured a hamstring.

Lucknow Super Giants brought in New Zealand pacer Will O’Rourke for about $350,000 to replace pacer Mayank Yadav, who injured his back and was out for the season.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket