WTC- bound Proteas expected to leave mid-IPL for prep camp and is currently under discussion between CSA and BCCI.
WTC-bound South Africa players likely to leave before IPL playoffs.
According to the first NOCs given to them, the eight South African players competing in the World Test Championship (WTC) final and the IPL 2025 are anticipated to depart India by May 25.
The remaining members of the team, including Kagiso Rabada (GT), Lungi Ngidi (RCB), Tristan Stubbs (DC), Aiden Markram (LSG), Ryan Rickelton, Corbin Bosch (both MI), Marco Jansen (PBKS), and Wiaan Mulder (SRH), will depart for the UK on May 30 after returning home to South Africa. They will be excluded from the rescheduled IPL playoffs as a result, a matter that is presently being discussed between the BCCI and CSA.
Although CSA is worried that it may strain relations between the two bodies, they are hoping that the BCCI will respect their decision to not extend the players’ NOCs until June 3 in light of the significance of the WTC final. Both national coach Shukri Conrad and Enoch Nkwe, director of national teams and high performance, acknowledged that the deadline of May 25 remained in effect.
“The initial agreement with IPL-BCCI was, with the final being on the 25th, our players would return on the 26th, so that it allows them ample time before we fly out on the 30th,” Conrad said in Johannesburg after South Africa announced their WTC final squad. “That is the ongoing conversations that are being had between people in a higher pay grade than I am – the director of cricket [Nkwe] and Pholetsi [Moselki, the CSA chief executive]. They’re dealing with that. We want our players back on the 26th and hopefully that comes to fruition.”
Nkwe, at the same engagement, indicated talks were ongoing and CSA was hopeful the players would prioritise the WTC.
“It is an individual decision, obviously, to return or to play or continue,” Nkwe said. “But one thing we’ve made it clear, and we are finalising that with IPL and BCCI, is sticking to our original plan when it comes to the WTC preparations, obviously with May 26 being the latest for the Test guys to come back.”