3 overseas players who skipped IPL for Test cricket
Since its inception back in 2008, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has grown by leaps and bounds and today, it is one of the most sought-after tournaments in the world.
Most players these days dream of playing in the cash-rich league, which has changed so many lives over the years. However, the IPL and other T20 leagues have put the health of international cricket in general and Test cricket at risk in particular.
However, there are still a few players who have remained committed to their countries, opting to skip franchise cricket in order to remain fresh and well-prepared for Test assignments.
Here, we take a look at three such players who have prioritized Test cricket and skipped the IPL for that.
#1 Ben Stokes
England's Test captain Ben Stokes is easily one of the best all-rounders going around. He recently announced that he would skip the business end of the 2023 IPL in order to give himself time to prepare for England's one-off Test match against Ireland and the Ashes.
Stokes has transformed a struggling England outfit into a dangerous side, having led the team to 10 wins out of the 11 games in which he has been in charge. Stokes was recently bestwowed with the Sir Garfield Sobers trophy for the men's cricketer of the year.
This is not the first time that the world champion has decided to skip the IPL in favor of Test cricket. Stokes did not put his name up for the mega auction in 2022 to play county cricket.
#2 Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc last played an IPL game in 2015, when he represented Royal Challengers Bangalore against Chennai Super Kings. It's been almost eight years but Starc has conquered the temptation of featuring in the marquee tournament to remain fit for Test assignments.
In 2021, he did put his name up for the auction and was even bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for a whopping ₹9.40 crore but couldn't participate due to an injury. Later in 2021, he expressed his desire to return to the league, but he has changed his mind since.
"At the moment for me I just want to play as much Test and one-day cricket as I can, and the IPL is a lovely bonus on the pay packet, but if I miss that to play more Test matches, I'm taking that option," Starc was quoted as saying in the past.
#3 Joe Root
Despite not being in high demand at the IPL auctions, Root is one of those who have put Test cricket above a lucrative IPL deal. Root has gone on record saying that he desperately wants to feature in the IPL, and yet, he refrained from putting his name up for the 2022 mega auction.
The reason, as the then-English Test captain said, was that he wanted to prepare for red-ball cricket to change England's Test fortunes. At that point in time, England were going through a disastrous run in the traditional format with Root at the helm of affairs.
Root, however, will feature in this year's edition of the IPL, having been bought by Rajasthan Royals.