Ravichandran Ashwin, 3 Aussies exit IPL over Covid-19

New Delhi, April 26

Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and a few Australian players have withdrawn from the IPL in the wake of the escalating Covid-19 crisis in India. However, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) insisted that the IPL will go on.

The 34-year-old Ashwin, who plays for Delhi Capitals, decided to take a break, announcing his decision on social media. In a tweet that Ashwin posted around 1.15 am on Monday, he wrote: “I would be taking a break from this years IPL from tomorrow. My family and extended family are putting up a fight against Covid19 and I want to support them during these tough times. I expect to return to play if things go in the right direction.”

While Ashwin left a door open for his return to the IPL, three Australian players — Andrew Tye (Rajasthan Royals), Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa (both Royal Challengers Bangalore) — withdrew from the league and left the country.

Getting home

While Zampa and Richardson have not yet spoken about their “personal reasons” for leaving, Tye said he feared getting locked out of Australia due to increasing quarantine cases from India in his hometown of Perth.

Last week Tye’s teammate Liam Livingstone of England returned home, citing “bubble fatigue”.

“I just thought to try and get on the front foot and get home before I got locked out of the country… Think I’ve had 11 days at home out of the bubble since August, so for me I just wanted to get home,” Tye said in an interview from Doha, where he was in transit before taking his flight to Perth.

Incidentally, Richardson featured in one match for RCB but Zampa couldn’t make it to the playing XI this season. The 34-year-old Tye had also not got a game with Rajasthan Royals.

Kolkata Knight Riders mentor David Hussey acknowledged that Australians in the IPL are a “bit nervous” about getting back home due to the situation in India. “Everyone is sort of a bit nervous about whether they can get back into Australia. I dare say there will be a few other Australians a bit nervous about getting back into Australia,” Hussey told an Australian newspaper. — TNS