The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has included Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks in the England ODI squad for their upcoming series against the West Indies, raising doubts over whether they will be available for the remainder of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The series is set to be played from May 29 to June 3, which are also the rescheduled dates during which the rescheduled IPL playoffs and final will also be played.
The league was abruptly suspended on May 8 due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan but is now set to resume on Saturday. All English players were originally expected to return for the tournament. Furthermore, the four players named in the squad for the series against the West Indies are all expected to play integral roles in the playoffs, with Buttler playing for the (), Bethell for (), and Jacks for the .
The ECB had handed No Objection Certificates (NOC) to its contracted players based on the original schedule of the league, a spokesperson is quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. “We’re keen to support the and the BCCI in getting the schedule up and running, and to facilitate players’ return should they choose to go back,” the spokesperson stated. “No Objection Certificates have been granted based on the original IPL dates, so we’ll need to review any potential extensions, particularly in relation to any clash with the final white-ball squad. We’ll continue to work closely with the BCCI and the IPL as the situation develops.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday that the remainder of the season will be played across six venues starting on May 17. The final has been pushed to June 3 and the playoffs will be played on May 29, 30 and June 1.
