MELBOURNE: Mitchell Starc has opted out of the final phase of the Indian Premier League but most of his Australia team-mates will return to India to honour their franchise commitments, multiple media reports said on Friday said Friday, while England’s former white-ball captain Jos Buttler will leave before the playoffs.

The world’s richest cricket tournament will resume on Saturday after India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire following days of deadly fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

The 10-team league was originally scheduled to end on May 25 but will now have its final on June 3 and faces losing several top stars for the closing stages because of clashes with the schedules of international teams including Australia, England and South Africa.

Four days of drone, missile and artillery exchanges from May 7 left around 70 people, including dozens of civilians, dead on both sides of the border.

Starc’s Delhi Capitals were playing in Dharamsala when a match was abandoned because of what officials said was floodlight failure.

Dharamsala is less than 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the town of Jammu, where explosions were reported hours earlier the same day.

The stadium was swiftly evacuated and players including the 35-year-old Starc whisked out of the ground in the team bus.

Starc told the Delhi Capitals that he will not return, Australian Associated Press reported, freeing him up to focus on the build-up to his country’s World Test Championship final against South Africa on June 11 at Lord’s.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Delhi team or the IPL. Delhi are currently fifth in the points table and chasing a playoff spot. The 35-year-old Starc has been crucial to their season, picking 14 wickets at an average 27.79 in 11 games.

Starc’s pace bowling colleague Josh Hazlewood was assessing a shoulder niggle before deciding whether to join Royal Challengers Bengaluru for the IPL’s playoff stage should they qualify, the AAP report said.

Hazlewood is the highest wicket-taker this season for Bengaluru, who are currently second in the points table and chasing their maiden IPL title.

Australia captain Pat Cummins and batter Travis Head will return to Sunrisers Hyderabad, who have been eliminated from the playoff race.

Xavier Bartlett and Mitch Owen have already linked up with Punjab Kings while fellow Australian Tim David has reunited with his Bengaluru team-mates.

South African players also look set to miss the playoff phase should their teams get there. South Africa has said its players must leave India by May 26 so they can prepare for the WTC final.

BUTTLER TO MISS PLAYOFFS

Gujarat Titans top the 10-team table and are almost sure to reach the playoffs starting May 29.

But wicket-keeper Buttler will leave the team after the group stage and will be replaced by the Sri Lankan Kusal Mendis, allowing the Englishman to be available for the first ODI against the West Indies.

Mendis will be making his maiden IPL appearance, having played in the Pakistan Super League for Quetta Gladiators until the PSL was also suspended on May 7.

England all-rounders Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks, who play for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians respectively, are also expected to leave the IPL early, the BBC reported.

Pacer Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals), and all-rounders Sam Curran (Chennai Super Kings) and Jamie Overton (Chennai Super Kings) are the English players who won’t be returning at all. Both Rajasthan and Chennai have already been eliminated.

The rescheduling of the IPL has forced West Indies to tweak their squad for the tour of Ireland and England next month.

Calling it “an exceptional and unforeseen situation”, Cricket West Indies said Sherfane Rutherford and Shimron Hetmyer will miss the three One-day Internationals in Ireland.

“Strategic adjustments have been made to ensure key areas are adequately covered,” CWI said in a statement. “Shamar Joseph remains in the squad. John Campbell will replace Sherfane Rutherford for the Ireland leg, and Shimron Hetmyer, currently unavailable for the Ireland leg, will join the squad for the England matches.”

Romario Shepherd, who will skip the tour of Ireland and England to play in the IPL, has been replaced by Jediah Blades in the West Indies squad.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2025