By Chirag - May 14, 2025 03:29 PM
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 is set to resume on May 17, with the first match after the break featuring Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. However, the tournament faces uncertainty regarding the availability of several South African players due to their national commitments ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) recently named its squad for the WTC Final against Australia, which will be held at Lord’s Cricket Ground from June 11 to 15. This announcement has created a conflict, as the IPL final has been postponed to June 3 following a schedule reshuffle reportedly caused by India-Pakistan tensions.
Initially, CSA had granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to South African players, permitting them to stay in India only until May 25. But now that the IPL has extended past that point, players need new permissions to play.
The IPL Final and the WTC Final are just eight days apart, thus CSA is putting national duty before of franchise obligations. The board has directed all players selected for the WTC Final to assemble in England by May 31. Those not participating in the IPL will depart from South Africa on May 30.
CSA's stance is clear: winning an ICC trophy is a greater objective than staying on for the remainder of a franchise league.
Some players, like Lungi Ngidi (RCB), have rejoined their IPL franchises after a brief break, but their continued presence remains uncertain. Interestingly, eight members of the WTC team are still playing in the 2025 Indian Premier League, and seven of them are with playoff-contending teams.
This complicates matters for franchises who may have to strategize without their star performers in the business end of the tournament.
Below is a list of South African players who are part of both the IPL 2025 and the WTC Final squad:
| Franchise | Players |
|---|---|
| Mumbai Indians | Corbin Bosch, Ryan Rickelton |
| Gujarat Titans | Kagiso Rabada |
| Delhi Capitals | Tristan Stubbs |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Aiden Markram |
| Punjab Kings | Marco Jansen |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Lungi Ngidi |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Wiaan Mulder |
As of now, CSA has not officially confirmed whether these players will remain in India until the end of the IPL. However, the tight timeline and the importance of the WTC Final strongly suggest that many will return to national duty by the end of May.
Franchises will need to plan for potential withdrawals, while fans can expect further clarity as CSA and BCCI work out player availability over the next few days.
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