Foreign players fly out of India after IPL suspension

New Delhi: Most of the foreign recruits in IPL franchises departed for their respective countries on Saturday following suspension of the high-profile T20 League, which was halted for a week due to India-Pakistan border tension.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) was suspended on Friday, a day after the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match in Dharamsala was abandoned midway following air raid alerts in neighbouring cities of Jammu and Pathankot.

With the tournament suspended, the players and support staff from various franchises have begun returning to their home-towns, while several foreign players are home-bound.

"Our players and extended staff have safely returned to Bengaluru and are now homebound to their respective cities and countries," RCB said in a statement.

RCB's foreign contingent includes Tim David, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Romario Shepherd, Philip Salt, Josh Hazlewood, Lungi Ngidi, and Nuwan Thushara.

Among the overseas support staff are head coach Andy Flower, bowling coach Adam Griffith, Director of Cricket Operations Mo Bobat, team physio Evan Speechly, and analyst Freddie Wilde.

"We're deeply grateful for the swift coordination and support from the BCCI, local authorities, and the police who made this possible," the RCB statement added.

An LSG official also confirmed to PTI that some of their overseas players flew out on Saturday, while a few others opted to stay back for the time being.

For other franchises like Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), both domestic and international players have also departed for their respective locations.

According to a source, KKR players left from Hyderabad, where they were scheduled to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday.

After the IPL match in Dharamsala was called off, players from Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals reached New Delhi on Friday after being evacuated and escorted to the Jalandhar railway station in batches through Hoshiarpur amid tight security.

The squads had arrived in New Delhi aboard a special 'Vande Bharat Express'.

A Punjab Kings (PBKS) source said that most of their foreign players have left for home.

Meanwhile, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that updates regarding the revised schedule and venues for the remainder of the tournament would be shared in due course after a comprehensive assessment of the situation in consultation with relevant authorities and stakeholders.

The suspension of the IPL comes in the wake of India's missile strikes targeting terror infrastructure across the border in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The strikes were carried out in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives.