5 Players Who Opted for IPL Over International Duty

5 Players Who Forewent International Duty to Participate in the IPL; The days of athletes putting their country first are long gone. Things have changed a lot since then. Money triumphed over the pride of the footballers who represented their respective countries. The rise of the Indian Premier League was beneficial to the game, but it also encouraged cricketers to pursue money rather than play for their country.

Cricket boards typically avoid arranging any bilateral series during the Indian Premier League. However, in order to prepare for ICC tournaments or major series, the board requests that players leave the competition early to represent the country in a bilateral series. Although some players accepted the order, a few others refused to participate for their respective Indian Premier League organizations. We found five such players who refused international games in order to participate in the IPL.

5 Players Opt for IPL Over International Duty

1. Andre Russell:

The all-rounder is a valuable asset in the game’s shortest format. He can swiftly turn the tables for his team with his superb batting and bowling ability. As a result, he has become the busiest cricketer in the world in terms of T20 cricket. Meanwhile, he began to take things for granted, particularly when representing the national team became an option rather than a requirement.

Andre Russell, like Chris Gayle, turned down the West Indies’ desire to participate in a tri-series in Dublin with Bangladesh and Ireland ahead of the 2019 ICC World Cup. Russell’s thunderous blows for KKR proved his worth to the team. He finished the competition as KKR’s most important player, although he struggled for West Indies in England during the major event and was ruled out midway due to injury.

2. Ben Stokes:

The English all-rounder made his IPL debut after Rising Pune Supergiant paid INR 14.5 crores in the auction to get him. He came into the tournament as the greatest all-around player in contemporary history. With his great knocks in the center for Steve Smith’s side, he proved his importance to the team.

The England Cricket Board organized a bilateral series against Ireland over the course to prepare for the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. The board granted him exceptional permission to partake in the event alongside Chris Woakes. He did, however, return to England before the playoffs began. In his absence, RPS reached the final but lost by one run to Mumbai Indians.

3. Chris Gayle:

The Universe Boss gave the impression that he was the boss of the West Indies cricket board on multiple occasions. Chris Gayle only plays for the West Indies when he wants to, with no pressure from the selectors. Similarly, when the West Indies Cricket Board organized a tri-series in preparation for the ICC World Cup 2019, he chose to play for Kings XI Punjab.

While his colleagues were preparing for the ICC World Cup 2019 in Dublin against Bangladesh and Ireland, Chris Gayle chose to play for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League. Later, he was selected vice-captain of the West Indies team for the worldwide competition.

4. Shakib Al Hasan:

Surprisingly, Bangladesh’s modern great also makes the list. Shakib Al Hasan is one of the few Bangladeshi cricketers to have represented an IPL franchise. The all-rounder has always been a significant player for whichever side he has played for in the competition due to his ability to contribute in all areas. Like Mohammad Nabi, Shakib Al Hasan chose to stay with Sunrisers Hyderabad over international duty for Bangladesh.

With the ICC World Cup 2019 just around the corner, the Bangladesh Cricket Board organized a tri-series with the West Indies and Ireland to obtain plenty of match preparation. The all-rounder, however, elected to stay with his side. According to the experienced all-rounder, the standard of cricket in the IPL is quite good, which will help him prepare for the mega event.

Though supporters chastised Shakib Al Hasan for missing an international match, they praised him when he proved his worth during the ICC World Cup 2019.

5. Mohammad Nabi:

Let me begin with an intriguing statistic. Mohammad Nabi appeared in 124 of Afghanistan’s 127 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). If you believe Mohammad Nabi missed those three games due to bad form or injury, you are mistaken. He was unable to attend due to the Indian Premier League. Yes, he continued to play IPL by skipping Afghanistan’s international game.

Rashid Khan, like Mohammad Nabi, was absent from Afghanistan’s series. The opening ODI of the series, ironically, was rained out. Afghanistan, on the other hand, missed his presence in the remaining games.

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