ENGLAND stars including Jos Buttler and Jofra Archer will return home this weekend after the IPL was suspended.
A total of ten players are flying out of India to escape the and conflict with Pakistan.
The with 12 of the 70 matches not played. The games are likely to be rescheduled for September.
chiefs in India had little option than to suspend the IPL after the Punjab Kings v Delhi Capitals match was abandoned after 10.1 overs on Thursday.
The initial explanation was a floodlight failure but the venue in Dharamsala is less than 100 miles from cities where air-raid sirens and explosions were heard.
With the local airport shut, players, staff and officials were evacuated by bus before catching a train to Delhi, the capital of India.
Overseas players and particularly the Aussie contingent – including Test captain Pat Cummins – were particularly alarmed by developments.
They quickly made arrangements to fly back to Australia and the English players – , , Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jacob Bethell, Sam Curran, Craig Overton, Will Jacks, Moeen Ali and Reece Topley – are also exiting the country.
Ironically, Bethell was not considered for selection for the one-off Test against Zimbabwe later this month because of his involvement in the IPL.
The IPL is a vast money-spinner with each match generating more than £6million in TV revenue alone.
Although India and Pakistan no longer play bi-lateral series, global events are rigged so they face each other in the group stages because of the interest and revenue.
That might no longer be possible following the escalation between the two nuclear-armed nations.
On Wednesday, India targeted what they claimed was terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan in retaliation to an attack in Kashmir last month.
Virat Kohli, India’s biggest cricket superstar, expressed strong support for his country with an Instagram story post, saying: “We stand in solidarity with and salute our armed forces for fiercely protecting our country in these difficult times.
“We are forever indebted to our heroes for their unwavering bravery and heartfelt gratitude for the sacrifices they and their families make for our great nation.”; JAI HIND.
Jai Hind means Victory for India in Hindi.
The IPL has been played in South Africa and the UAE in the past and English authorities will be happy if the tournament resumes in September – because that would not clash with this summer’s Test series against India which runs from June 2 to August 4.
Meanwhile, the remaining ten matches in the Pakistan Super League will be played in the UAE with a new schedule announced shortly.
England players in the PSL are James Vince, Sam Billings, Chris Jordan, David Willey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Curran and Luke Wood with coaching staff including Ravi Bopara and Alex Hartley.
