IPL 2024 is likely to be played between March 22 and the end of May, with the final schedule to be announced once the polling dates for India’s general elections have been finalised by the Election Commission.
On the eve of the 2024 auction, the IPL also notified franchises about the availability of players in the auction for next season:
Australia: Hazlewood not available in March and April
All the other Australian players in the auction are expected to be available for the whole IPL season. With the Sheffield Shield final scheduled from March 21 to 25, Cricket Australia has left the choice to the individual players if they have to choose between playing the Shield final and the IPL.
England: Rehan withdraws from auction
England are scheduled to host Pakistan for a T20I series between May 22 and 30 but the ECB has told the IPL that its players will be available for the whole season “subject to fitness and international duty and any periods of unavailability that players submitted on their auction applications.”
The ECB also pointed out that if any players “require specific management in the build-up to the T20 World Cup” its managing director Rob Key would “liaise directly” with both the player and his franchise.
Sri Lanka: Hasaranga, Chameera available
Sri Lanka Cricket has made all its key white-ball players available for the whole of IPL 2024. This includes Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana, who play for Chennai Super Kings, and Wanindu Hasaranga and Dushmantha Chameera, who are in the auction after being released by RCB and Lucknow Super Giants respectively.
None of those four players will be part of Sri Lanka’s Test squad, which is scheduled to play a two-Test series against Bangladesh until April 3. The other Test players who get bought at the auction will be available for the IPL after the series against Bangladesh.
Bangladesh: Taskin, Shoriful withdrawn from auction
Ireland: Josh Little available
Ireland left-arm fast bowler Josh Little will be available to Gujarat Titans for the whole of the 2024 season and will not play the one-off Test match against Bangladesh from March 22 to 26. He will also miss Ireland’s T20I series against Pakistan (May 7-14), and against Netherlands and Scotland (May 19-26).
Afghanistan, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe have made their players fully available for IPL 2024 if they are bought at the auction.
Additional reporting by Matt Roller
Nagraj Gollapudi is news editor at CricketCrest
