Reports | New Zealand players set to be available for IPL despite addition of BAN and PAK tours

While there was significant doubt over the availability of English and Australian players for the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL), at no stage did franchises sweat over the prospect of the New Zealand players potentially skipping the competition. But serious doubts over the availability of the Kiwis arose earlier this week when New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed that the BlackCaps will be touring both Bangladesh and Pakistan prior to the World T20, during the IPL 2021 window. The second half of the IPL 2021 is scheduled to kick-off on September 19, but, as per New Zealand’s schedule, the BlackCaps are expected to fly to Bangladesh and play five T20Is in the first week of September, after which they are expected fly to Pakistan to play 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is. 

This clash in dates was expected to cause a headache for all eight franchises, but according to a Cricbuzz report, NZC will allow all IPL-contracted players to skip the tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan. As many as eight New Zealand players have IPL contracts, and Cricbuzz has reported that each of these players will be allowed to feature in the T20 extravaganza, meaning they will not be flying to Bangladesh or Pakistan.

"That is what we have been told. The NZC will release the IPL players," Cricbuzz quoted an IPL franchise official as saying.

Tim Seifert (KKR), Lockie Ferguson (KKR), James Neesham (MI), Trent Boult (MI), Adam Milne (MI), Kyle Jamieson (RCB), Mitchell Santner (CSK) and Kane Williamson (SRH) are the players who are set to be given the green signal to feature in the IPL. According to Cricbuzz, this development would mean one of Tim Southee or Tom Latham leading the New Zealand side in the tours of Bangladesh and Pakistan. 

But while the Kiwis should be available for the second half of IPL 2021, the participation of key Australian players continues to remain uncertain.