Cricket South Africa Wants Players to Return Home from IPL on May 26

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has announced that it wants its 20 players participating in the IPL 2025 to return home by May 26. This decision comes as eight of the South African players have been named in the squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, set to take place at Lord's from June 11.

According to Proteas men's head coach Shukri Conrad, the initial agreement with the IPL and the BCCI was for the players to return on May 26, allowing them ample time before flying out on May 30. This decision has not changed, and CSA is sticking to its original plan.

The eight players named in the WTC final squad are Corbin Bosch, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Tristan Stubbs. Mulder, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad, may be one of the first to return on May 26 as his team is out of contention for a playoff berth.

CSA is still in discussions with the BCCI regarding the return of its players. The selected players are expected to assemble in Arundel on May 31, where they will play a warm-up match against Zimbabwe from June 3-6 before heading to London for the WTC final.

The revised IPL schedule, which includes a one-week suspension due to border tensions, will not be complete by May 25, the cut-off date for the South Africans to return. The league stage will end on May 27, and the playoffs will start from May 29.