In a news that is set to impact several franchises, it is now being reported that South African players participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) may arrive in India a little late for the marquee event. The news comes just three weeks after the start of the competition with the first match of the T20 tournament scheduled to be played on March 31.
Reports suggest that the players will be late as the Proteas are expected to play two ODIs against the Netherlands, which means players who are part of that squad may miss the first few matches for their respective franchises. Nine players including Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Aiden Markram, Punjab Kings star Kagiso Rabada are likely to be involved in this.
It is pertinent to note that South Africa are in danger of being forced to play the ICC ODI World Cup qualifiers and will need to do well in their remaining Super League matches to make it to the marquee event. Notably, only the top eight guarantee themselves a direct spot, while the Rainbow Nation men are currently ranked ninth. It is in this context that Cricket South Africa has asked the BCCI to allow its first-choice players to be part of the two-match series against the Dutch.
