IPL 2023: Aaron Finch considering pulling out of the tournament; set to make final decision soon - Reports
Australia T20I captain Aaron Finch is reportedly considering skipping the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The senior opening batter was recently seen leading the Men in Yellow at the T20 World Cup 2022, where they failed to make it to the knockout stages on home soil.
Finch was roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the 2022 edition as a replacement player for Alex Hales, who opted out of the tournament citing bio-bubble fatigue. The Victoria-born player was initially unsold in the mega-auction, which took place in February 2022.
#IPL2023Auction update Aaron Finch is likely to miss the next edition
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The opening batter, who retired from ODIs in September 2022, is considering opting out of the 2023 edition to spend time with his family. A source close to the player told Sportstar:
“At this stage, Aaron is still deciding if he would want to participate in the IPL. He has a young child at home, and now the event goes for 10 weeks which is too long. It will be a discussion in the coming period."
With Australia's T20 World Cup campaign coming to a premature end and Finch's non-presence in the franchise T20 leagues, his next appearance will likely come in August 2023 in a bilateral series against South Africa.
T20s will take a back seat as the coming year features both the finals of the World Test Championship's (WTC) second cycle and the ODI World Cup in the November - December window,
KKR are looking to release Aaron Finch and rope-in Alex Hales as their primary overseas opening better
Aaron Finch, who has represented nine IPL franchises over the course of his career, could find himself in the auction pool for the mini-auction should he be released by the two-time IPL champions.
Reports suggest that KKR are prepared to part ways with the veteran, who scored 86 runs in five appearances for the side in the previous edition. The Shreyas Iyer-led side are reportedly favoring the prospect of retaining Alex Hales ahead of the mini-auction.
KKR is set to release Aaron Finch and they will try to retain Alex Hales for IPL 2023. (Source - RevSportz)
The franchise have been active in the trade window by acquiring New Zealand's Lockie Ferguson and Afghanistan's Rahmanullah Garbaz from defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday, November 13.
Franchises will be required to submit the final list of retained and released players by November 15. The IPL 2023 mini-auction is scheduled to take place in Kochi on December 23.
Will Aaron Finch feature in IPL 2023? Let us know what you think.