Cricket Australia said on Thursday that its players, including captain Pat Cummins, will be exempt from the three-match ODI series against Pakistan starting on May 30 in order to fulfill their IPL 2026 commitments.
The IPL’s league phase ends on May 24, and the tournament’s final takes place on May 31.
On May 23, which coincides with the IPL’s business end, the Australian players are expected to land in Islamabad.
“Yes, we have received communication that the Australian players in our squad will stay back for the IPL,” PTI quoted a Sunrisers Hyderabad source as saying.
The SRH has opener Travis Head in addition to team captain Cummins.
With 14 points, the Hyderabad team leads the standings and is getting closer to making the playoffs.
Josh Hazlewood, Tim David (RCB), Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis (LSG), Xavier Bartlett, Marcus Stoinis, Cooper Connolly (PBKS), Matthew Short (CSK), Mitchell Starc (DC), and Cameron Green (KKR) are among the other Australian cricketers presently competing in the IPL.
In the event that the Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders do not advance to the knockout stage, Green and Starc may depart the IPL following the league phase.
The Knight Riders are in eighth with seven points from nine games, while DC is in seventh place with eight points from ten games.
The Super Giants, on the other hand, are in 10th place with just four points from nine games, and their chances of qualifying for the playoffs have all but vanished.
Thus, before the first ODI, Marsh and Inglis might also travel to Pakistan with the Australian team. The team for the away series has not yet been revealed by CA, though.
However, Hazlewood, David, Connolly, and others on the list will have to stay back because RCB and PBKS also have a good chance of making it to the playoffs.
It is currently anticipated that they would return to the national team in Bangladesh around the first week of June.
Starting on June 9, Australia will play Bangladesh in three ODIs and as many T20Is.
