- May 15, 2025
Just when we thought IPL 2025 was settling in—BAM—we get an international scheduling conflict that lands like a no-ball in the final over. The IPL has 17 match days now, including playoffs, and they are already locked in from May 29 to June 3. What is the catch? England and the West Indies are going to be starting their white-ball series on the same day as the IPL playoffs. Some of the teams we are going to talk about now do not have a choice either way, scrambling to retain their stars because of the high possibility of permanent departures. So, who are we talking about? How bad is it? Let us break it down.
Foreign Flight Risk: How RCB, MI & GT Could Be Left Shorthanded
The England-West Indies tour is happening at the most unfortunate possible time for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI), and Gujarat Titans (GT). All three teams are vying for the playoffs and rely on overseas players.
The Gujarat Titans may also miss West Indian big hitter Nicholas Pooran and a couple of others in the England squad. MI has been reliant on players like Chris Jordan and Jason Behren Dorff in the past, which could leave them shorthanded.
But here’s the rub: playoffs are less about skill than momentum and mental edge. Losing a key foreign player a couple of days before a high-pressure knockout match? It’s like running a marathon without one of your shoes. The chemistry, the game plan, and even team morale can fall apart.
What’s the BCCI Doing About It?
Up to this point, the BCCI does not seem willing to wait. They are making calls, quite aggressively; IPL Chief Operating Officer Hemang Amin was calling the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA). Why? So their players can just stay and play.
Cricket Australia, it should be said, is taking a neutral position. Whatever the players want to do, they can do it. So, if someone like Glenn Maxwell or Travis Head wanted to stay, then they can stay. And what is England’s position? Historically, they have tended to show little flexibility regarding national commitments, especially concerning white-ball cricket.
Even as the franchises are communicating directly with their players, it’s still a bit of a gamble. Players might want to stay with their franchise, but the boards control the final say, or are at least in a position to pressure them, and prioritize country over club. So, until contracts are signed and flights are planned (or cancelled), the fans of these teams will be biting their nails.
Strategic Depth Will Be Tested
For teams with solid Indian benches, this could be a silver lining. These teams—Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, for example—usually have a decent balance of Indians, and so, hopefully, have less disruption.
RCB and MI, sometimes guilty of relying on overseas players too much, may need to find out what their Indian options are. And to be fair, what actual game time do many of these backups ever get?
India’s international commitments clash with the IPL 2025 playoffs – so RCB, MI, GT, and co. will be navigating some choppy waves. Whether they sink or swim will largely depend on how well they can cope with international player losses, or how difficult the BCCI can be. At the end of the day, it’s more than just a scheduling dilemma – it is a measure of strategy, depth, and British grit. Who will rise to the occasion under pressure, and who will find the unlikely heroes?
What do you think – do players put the nation first, or is the IPL too important not to be involved in? Let the discussion commence.
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