South Africa Players To Ditch IPL 2025 For WTC 2025 Final

According to Cricket South Africa (CSA), its players must return home before May 26. This year's IPL 2025 features 20 South African players overall, but on Tuesday, May 13, eight of them were selected for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, which will take place at Lord's starting on June 11.

This comes after the IPL 2025 was suspended on May 9 due to tensions between India and Pakistan on the border. The PBKS v DC match was also called off in Dharamshala due to shelling in nearby Pathankot. BCCI had called off the IPL 2025 for one week.

However, recently, BCCI announced that the IPL 2025 will resume on May 17 and shared the revised schedule that saw the final being played on June 3 instead of May 25.

South Africa wants its players back

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has said it wants its players back home by May 26. This is because South Africa will clash with Australia in the WTC 2025 final at Lord’s from June 11, and they need to prep for the summit clash as well.

The WTC final squad comprises the following players: Corbin Bosch (Mumbai Indians), Wiaan Mulder (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings), Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants), Lungi Ngidi (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans), Ryan Rickelton (Mumbai Indians), and Tristan Stubbs (Delhi Capitals).

"The initial agreement with the IPL and the BCCI was with the final being on May 25th, our players would return on the 26th, so that it allows them ample time before we fly out on the 30th. Nothing has changed from our perspective.

"That is the ongoing conversation that is being had between people in a higher pay grade than I am, i.e., the Director of Cricket (Enoch Nkwe) and Pholetsi Moseki (CSA CEO), so they're dealing with that."

"But as it stands, we're not budging on that, I don't think. We want our players back on the 26th, and hopefully that comes to fruition," Proteas men's head coach Shukri Conrad said as per Cricbuzz.

CSA official backtracks on Shukri Conrad's words; says negotiations are on for South African players

When a senior CSA official was contacted, he said the negotiations with the BCCI are underway.

"We are still in discussions with IPL & BCCI. Yes, we want the Test players back on the 26th, but hence I say the matter is getting finalised by higher-ups. (We) can't confirm yet until the matter is settled between the two governing bodies (CSA and BCCI)," Enoch Nkwe, the CSA director of cricket, told Cricbuzz.

South Africa squad for WTC Final announced

The CSA announced that the squad will assemble in Arundel (England) on May 31 and will play a warm-up match against Zimbabwe from 03 - 06 June, before heading to London on June 7.

The above-named players represent seven distinct teams, four of which own teams in the CSA-run SA20, and at least five of which are in strong contention for postseason spots. In actuality, IPL owners own all six of the SA20 franchises.

Also Read: South Africa Squad For WTC Final vs Australia Disclosed; Lungi Ngidi Returns