Overseas IPL players return home after tournament suspended

New Delhi: Most of the overseas players part of the ten Indian Premier League franchises departed for their respective countries on Saturday following suspension of the tournament, which was halted for a week due to India-Pakistan border tension.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended IPL on Friday, a day after the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala was abandoned midway following air raid alerts in neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot.

With the tournament suspended, the players and support staff from various franchises have begun returning to their hometowns, while several foreign players are home-bound. "Our players and extended staff have safely returned to Bengaluru and are now homebound to their respective cities and countries," RCB said in a statement.

RCB's foreign players include Tim David, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Philip Salt, Josh Hazlewood, Lungi Ngidi, and Nuwan Thushara. Among the overseas support staff are head coach Andy Flower, bowling coach Adam Griffith, Director of Cricket Operations Mo Bobat, team physio Evan Speechly, and analyst Freddie Wilde. "We're deeply grateful for the swift coordination and support from the BCCI, local authorities, and the police who made this possible," the RCB statement added.

A Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) official also confirmed to PTI that some of their overseas players returned home on Saturday, while a few others opted to stay back for the time being.

For other franchises like Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), both domestic and international players have departed for their respective locations. According to a source, KKR players left from  Hyderabad, where they were scheduled to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.

A Punjab Kings (PBKS) source said that most of their foreign players have left for home.

Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that updates regarding the revised schedule and venues for the remainder of the tournament would be shared in due course after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders.

The suspension of the IPL comes in the wake of India's missile strikes targeting terror infrastructure across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The strikes were carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.