With the BCCI announcing that the IPL 2021 will be resuming in the UAE, several franchises are in a fix. Even though the BCCI will make sure that most of the overseas players be available, it looks unlikely that their respective cricketing boards will give the cricketers the NOC. Hence, the franchises will have to brainstorm a lot about their chances in the UAE leg of the competition. The franchises that will most be affected are the ones dependent hugely on their overseas contingent.
With the England Cricket Board (ECB) clarifying that they will not be giving NOC to their players for the cash-rich T20 league, 13-14 players are likely to miss out. Bangladesh players are also unlikely to receive the NOC, while the availability of Australian players is yet to be confirmed. While the board has asserted that IPL 2021 will go ahead regardless of who is available, the unavailability of overseas cricketers would surely affect the popularity of the tournament.
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Let’s have a look at all IPL teams and the players likely to be unavailable for them in the UAE leg of IPL 2021:
#1 Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
Chennai Super Kings came out all guns blazing in IPL 2021 as they were standing at the second place during the first phase of the tournament. Even though their opening clash against the Delhi Capitals resulted in a loss, they managed to win 5 games in a row after that. However, their overseas players like Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, and Faf Du Plessis played a crucial role in all those wins. Ali, who played at number three, not only performed well with the bat, but also with the ball. Curran also was impressed with his all-around abilities. Hence, their likeliness to miss the UAE leg will affect their chances.
CSK players likely to miss the UAE leg: Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Jason Behrendorff, Mitchell Santer.
#2 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)
Kolkata Knight Riders had a forgettable outing in the first phase of IPL 2021 as they managed to win just a couple of games out of seven matches. Eoin Morgan just could not get going in this year’s tournament and he is likely to miss the UAE leg, Kolkata Knight Riders could go back to Dinesh Karthik to do the captaincy. While there are also rumors that Pat Cummins will be skipping the second phase, the 27-year old could miss it as he is one of the crucial players for Australia.
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KKR players likely to miss the UAE leg: Eoin Morgan, Pat Cummins, Shakib Al Hasan, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Seifert.
