England players to miss IPL 2024 Playoffs: Which team will be most affected by Buttler & Co leaving?

The T20 World Cup-bound England players who are now fulfilling their IPL obligations will "return in time" for a four-match T20I series against Pakistan, the country's cricket authority announced on Tuesday. England named a 15-member squad for the T20 tournament, which will be hosted in the United States and the West Indies in June. The squad also includes Jofra Archer's name, who would be returning to international cricket after a 14-month absence.  

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England players to miss IPL playoffs

"Selected players, currently playing in the Indian Premier League, will return in time for the series against Pakistan, which gets underway at Headingley on Wednesday 22 May 2024,' the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement after naming the T20 World Cup squad.

Some of the prominent English players who will have to leave the IPL before the start of the Pakistan series include Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Phil Salt (Kolkata Knight Riders), Will Jacks and Reece Topley (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), Moeen Ali (Chennai Super Kings), Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, and Liam Livingstone (Punjab Kings).

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Which IPL teams will be most affected by England players leaving?

The most affected clubs will be the Rajasthan Royals and Knight Riders, who will likely make it to the playoffs of IPL 2024. The departure of English talent, however, may not have an impact on teams like Punjab Kings and RCB, which are at a dire stage and hanging with a thin string in IPL 2024. The IPL's league matches will finish on May 19.

The England World Cup squad will fly to the Caribbean on May 31, ahead of their opening ICC T20 World Cup group fixture against Scotland on June 4 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

(With inputs from PTI)