The IPL 2025 season was already full of drama, sixes, and super overs, so when something unexpected happened that no one could have predicted, it wasn’t surprising. Due to escalating geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan, the league has been temporarily suspended with a new restart date of May 16 (and a new potential final date of May 30).
That seems simple enough, right? Not necessarily – especially for overseas players with international commitments out there. The most high-profile to have already exited is Mitchell Starc, the Delhi Capitals pace bowler, who has simply made the trip back to Sydney. Oh, and by the way, he is not expected to come back either. His manager has said, Starc is ‘unlikely to participate further’ in IPL 2025. And there are plenty more.
So let’s try to explain what this all means and why this is not just a simple Delhi Capitals issue; this is a bigger issue for the IPL.
Starc’s Exit: Not Just About One Player
For starters, Mitchell Starc is a big loss. Taking a whopping INR 24.75 crore fee for the season, the usual fanfare from his arrival would have been expected, and while he had a mixed season, the potential impact he has in crunch moments is clear. But given the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final on June 11 at Lord’s, it was to be expected that he would take the option of national duty.
With the Test crown up for grabs, Australia is very much in the hunt, and Starc is part of that structure. I mean a very, very tight schedule – ten days between the IPL final and the first match of the WTC – so it makes all the sense in the world for him to take some time out, reset and prepare for red ball. There is a big difference going from the mayhem of T20 cricket to Test cricket.
What makes this more surprising than normal is that Starc went silent for a moment. He did not announce it in a press conference or even through social media, it was simply radio silence.
The Domino Effect: Cummins, Head & Co.
Mitchell Starc might be the first big-name player to jump ship, but he won’t be the last. A couple of other very important players for Australia, Pat Cummins and Travis Head, also won’t be keen to remain at Sunrisers Hyderabad, as important as they are. As key players for Australia competing for the WTC, they also won’t want to risk injury or fatigue at the critical part of the IPL.
The Aussies aren’t the only players to depart. There have already been many New Zealand players who have left, and you can assume all the South African players are still not sure of where they stand. The IPL has its famous international list, but if we see more stars leave, we might be looking at a very “desi” playoffs.
Read Also: Will Hazlewood Miss the Rest of IPL 2025?
The Bigger Picture: IPL vs. International Cricket
This isn’t just about 2025—it’s about what’s coming next. The IPL, despite its massive global appeal, increasingly finds itself bumping heads with international cricket calendars. With the Champions Trophy in 2025, another WTC final in 2027, and more bilateral series packed in every season, the scheduling crunch is real.
I leave you thinking whether the BCCI and IPL franchises will consider international commitments when throwing the kitchen sink at the available auctions? Is there an obligation by players to remain for the entirety of the season? These are the real questions cricket boards and franchise owners should have genuine discussions over.
Who gets elevated when the star players are absent? Will this happen again in future IPLs?
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