Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai, March 16: south Africa Test players including Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi are likely to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and miss the home Test series against Bangladesh beginning March 31.
South Africa are scheduled to play three ODIs and two Tests against Bangladesh starting March 18, while the IPL is scheduled to be held from March 26 to May 29. The ODIs will be held on March 18, 20 and 23, followed by two Tests starting on March 31 and ending on April 12.
At this year’s IPL, 11 South African players have been signed by various clubs, including six Test regulars and three ODI players. In fact, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, and Marco Jansen, as well as elite batsmen Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius, and limited-overs wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, have all signed IPL contracts.
Due to national commitments, the majority of South African players were expected to miss the first week of the IPL, which begins March 26. Rabada, Ngidi, and Marco Jansen, according to ESPN Cricinfo, will miss the Tests in order to be available for the IPL from the start.
Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased Jansen in the IPL auction after he impressed in the home series against India, while Punjab acquired Rabada. The Delhi Capitals will be represented by Ngidi. Due to fitness concerns, Anrich Nortje’s availability remains in doubt. He was one of the Delhi Capitals’ retained players.
The IPL-bound players would face a “litmus test of allegiance,” according to Test captain Dean Elgar. The BCCI’s top brass must have sought out to their CSA counterparts for a middle-of-the-road compromise, according to reports.
