When the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) named their 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup, they also asked the selected players participating in IPL 2024 to return home “in time” before a home series against Pakistan. This decision left numerous IPL franchises facing the prospect of losing their key English players right before the start of the playoffs.
Among those departing early were prominent names such as Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Phil Salt (Kolkata Knight Riders), Will Jacks and Reece Topley (both Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, and Liam Livingstone (Punjab Kings). These exits significantly impacted their respective teams. Punjab Kings coach Sanjay Bangar recently disclosed that the ECB had assured them before the auction that their players would be available for the entirety of IPL 2024.
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“When we went to the auction, the ECB had made it clear that all the players would be available. It just so happens that the tournament got slightly extended, I would say, because of multiple reasons. Everybody was in a similar position, but we lost those English players,” Sanjay Bangar explained.
By the time Punjab Kings played their final league match of the season, they were down to just two overseas players in their squad—Nathan Ellis and Rilee Rossouw. Injuries to multiple players, coupled with the departure of their English stars, took a toll on the team, according to Bangar.
“We even lost Livingstone due to a niggle around his knee, with the ECB pulling him out. Even KG (Kagiso Rabada) had an infection and had to return to South Africa. These issues combined meant that when we came to the last two matches, we were short of players with international pedigree and experience. That hurt us, but it is not the sole reason why our season was below par,” said the former India all-rounder.
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Punjab Kings endured another disappointing season, becoming the second team after Mumbai Indians to be eliminated from the playoff race. They finished ninth in the 10-team competition. The departures and injuries severely impacted their performance, highlighting the critical importance of player availability and fitness in a long and gruelling tournament like the IPL.
