WTC final-bound South Africa players to miss IPL 2025 playoffs

The eight South African players who are part of the World Test Championship (WTC) final squad will return to home by May 27 and, as a result, miss the IPL 2025 playoffs.

The eight players, Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans), Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants), Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings), Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals), Lungi Ngidi (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Wiaan Mulder (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosch (both Mumbai Indians) will leave for the United Kingdom with the rest of South Africa's WTC final squad on May 30, to prepare for a warm-up game against Zimbabwe from June 3 at Arundel.

ESPNcricinfo has confirmed that Cricket South Africa (CSA) has concluded negotiations with the IPL about the early release of these players, given the importance of the WTC final, which will be played on June 11 at Lord's against Australia.

All other South African players not part of the WTC final will remain at the IPL until its conclusion.

The IPL resumes on May 17 after it was suspended for just over a week in the wake of the India-Pakistan cross-border tensions. RCB will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the first game, with Ngidi expected to be a part of the fixture, in case Josh Hazlewood does not recover in time from a shoulder niggle.

Out of the seven teams which have the WTC final-bound South Africa players, SRH are out of contention. GT have played a chunk of the season without Rabada, the last being on March 29 against MI and are just one step away from sealing a playoffs spot.

MI will be most affected with their South Africa contingent departing after the league stage. With 336 runs in 12 innings, Rickelton is MI's second-highest run-getter, while Bosch has played useful cameos and bowled decently in the three games he's played.

Jansen's departure will also worry PBKS, who need two wins in their last three games to confirm a playoff spot. Jansen is PBKS' third-highest wicket-taker with 11 wickets in as many games. Stubbs, meanwhile, has been DC's designated finisher and is their third-highest run-getter this season with 259 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 151.46.

Markam has 348 runs in 11 innings for LSG and is their third-highest run-scorer so far. LSG are currently placed seventh on the points table and need to win all their remaining fixtures, and even that might not be enough for them to make it to the playoffs.

The league phase ends on May 27, while the playoffs begin on May 29, with the final on June 3.