The rescheduling of the IPL 2025 playoffs has put three prominent English cricketers – Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, and Will Jacks – in a tricky situation, as their selection for England’s home ODI series against the West Indies clashes with the revised IPL dates.
Buttler (Gujarat Titans), Bethell (Royal Challengers Bengaluru), and Jacks (Mumbai Indians) were initially expected to return to India for the IPL’s resumption on Saturday after leaving due to earlier cross-border tensions. However, the playoffs, now running from May 29th to June 3rd, directly overlap with the ODI series starting on May 29th. This presents a conflict between their IPL commitments and national duty.
The ECB had previously assured IPL franchises that centrally-contracted English players would be available for the entire tournament, even omitting Bethell from the Test squad against Zimbabwe to honor this commitment based on the original schedule. Now, with the IPL final pushed to June 3rd, the ECB will need to reassess the No Objection Certificates granted to these players.
An ECB spokesperson acknowledged the situation, stating their support for the rescheduled IPL but also the need to review potential extensions for players involved in the ODI squad. They emphasized ongoing communication with the BCCI and IPL to navigate this developing situation.
Interestingly, Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals) and Jamie Overton (Chennai Super Kings), who are also in the England ODI squad, will not face this dilemma as their IPL teams have not qualified for the playoffs. Two other English players from RCB, Liam Livingstone and Phil Salt, were not selected for the ODI squad, although Salt is part of the T20I squad starting later.
The scheduling conflict also affects two West Indian players: Romario Shepherd (RCB) and Sherfane Rutherford (GT), both selected for the ODI series. While they were already anticipated to miss the ODIs against Ireland, the England series carries more weight as both teams are vying for automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup. The Cricket West Indies (CWI) has been approached for their perspective on this issue.
