Delhi: Former Australian team veteran fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has advised foreign players to avoid returning to India for the remaining 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The tournament was suddenly postponed in early May due to increasing airstrikes between India and Pakistan.
After detailed deliberations, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to resume the tournament. Now the IPL will start again from 17 May and the final will be played on 3 June.
Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed in a statement that it would support the players to take independent decisions regarding participation in the IPL. Mitchell Johnson, who played 54 IPL matches from 2013 to 2018, said that the safety of the players should be placed above the financial benefit.
According to the news of The West Australian, 43 -year -old Johnson wrote in his column, “Even though Cricket Australia has allowed the players to take their decisions, these decisions may be overwhelming. Cricket may have become a game of crores today, but in the end it is just a game, and the stagnation of IPL has shown this clearly this week.”
He further said, “If I have to decide to go back to India and finish the tournament, it will be easy for me, ‘No’ from me. Life and security are the most important, not salary.”
WTC final preparations impact
Johnson also warned that returning to India to play the remaining matches of IPL, some Australian and South African players World Test Championship (WTC) may obstruct the preparations for the finals, which is starting on Lord’s Cricket Ground from 11 June.
Former left -handed Pesar said, “And don’t forget that some Australian and South African players have to prepare for the upcoming WTC final. The IPL final will now be on June 3, which is exactly a week before the WTC final. So its impact on the preparations for this Test cricket match is another big concern.”
The IPL will start again from the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Related news
(Tagstotranslate) IPL 2025 (T) Mitchell Johnson