Some of New Zealand’s important players are now all set to be a part of their IPL teams in the UAE leg of IPL 2021.
2021 edition of the Indian Premier League, which came to a halt in May due to the COVID-19 outbreak and breach of bio-bubble, will resume from September 19 in the United Arab Emirates. With the ICC World T20 2021 just a few days after IPL’s completion, there was uncertainty regarding the availability of many overseas cricketers.
New Zealand Cricket has already confirmed that their key players will be allowed to participate in the remaining IPL 2021. Recently, the same did England & Wales Cricket Board.
“New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, James Neesham, and Lockie Ferguson will feature in the second phase of the IPL 2021 in the UAE,”
CEO David White stated, as per quotes in Geo TV.
The other Kiwi contingent who are part of IPL – Jamieson (RCB), Santner (CSK), Milne (MI) – are also likely to be allowed to feature in the tournament. Jamieson has been one of the main reasons behind Royal Challengers Bangalore’s dominance this season.
These players will subsequently miss the tour of Pakistan that will start on September 17. The Blackcaps will be touring Pakistan after eighteen years, where they will clash in three ODIs and five T20Is.
The ODI series will be played at the Pindi Cricket Club in Rawalpindi, while Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the T20I series. In the absence of Williamson, vice-captain Tom Latham is likely to lead the team.
Previously in 2017, when most of New Zealand’s first-team players were playing in IPL, Latham acted as the skipper in the Tri-Series against Ireland and Bangladesh.
“We’re very much looking forward to returning to Pakistan for the start of their home international season. New Zealand was the first country outside India to tour Pakistan and we share a close relationship with the PCB,”
White said about the tour to ICC.
