Irfan Pathan and Sunil Gavaskar Criticize England Players for Opting Out of IPL; Michael Vaughan Draws Controversial Comparison

The IPL 2024 playoffs kicked off with a bang as Kolkata Knight Riders faced off against SunRisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1. However, KKR was missing one of their key players, Phil Salt, who hails from England. This absence was not limited to just KKR, as other teams like Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru were also missing their English players in the playoff stage. The reason behind this mass exodus of English players from the IPL was their national team commitments ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Former Indian cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Irfan Pathan were quick to criticize the decision of the English players to leave the IPL midway. However, former England captain Michael Vaughan came to their defense, stating that it was only fair for the players to return to represent their country in the series against Pakistan.

The departure of English players from the IPL was not limited to just Phil Salt. Players like Liam Livingstone, Jos Buttler, Will Jacks, and Reece Topley also left their respective IPL teams to join the England squad for the upcoming T20I series against Pakistan. This move has left a void in the IPL teams, but Vaughan believes that it will benefit the English team in the long run by allowing them to regroup and focus on their roles ahead of the T20 World Cup.

With the departure of key players like Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, and Jonny Bairstow, the IPL teams will have to regroup and find replacements quickly to maintain their momentum in the playoffs. The absence of these star players will surely have an impact on the remaining matches of the IPL 2024 season.