The decision came as a huge shock to IPL franchises like Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals who are in contention for IPL 2024 playoffs.

London: The England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) decision to withdraw their T20 World Cup-bound players from the IPL 2024 play-offs wasn’t a management’s decision but actually came from captain Jos Buttler, ECB managing director Rob Key revealed. The IPL play-offs are scheduled from May 21-26, clashing directly with England’s four-match T20I series against Pakistan.

The decision came as a big blow to several IPL teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals with Phil Salt and Buttler opening the batting respectively in the ongoing tournament. Even teams like Punjab Kings. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings would also suffer. While Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran are playing for Punjab Kings, Ali is representing CSK, Will Jacks and Reece Topley are playing for RCB.

The Buttler-led think tank wants the players be available for the final phase of preparation before defending champion England take on Ireland at Barbados on June 4. “I asked him (Buttler) very early on in the piece and said, ‘Look, as England captain, you’re obviously going to have this series against Pakistan. How do you see it?’

“And straightaway, he said, ‘No, no, I want to come back and start getting ready for the World Cup in that series that’s just before it’,” Key was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. Buttler, who has hit two centuries for IPL table toppers Rajasthan Royals, will look for an encore with England after having captained them to their second T20 World Cup title win in 2022.

Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders are likely to be hit the most since both the teams are poised to make the playoffs. The English stars’ departure, though, may not hamper teams such as Punjab Kings and RCB as they are unlikely to make the final four.

According to Key, he had told the IPL-bound England players to be prepared for the scenario of leaving IPL early in order to be available for the Pakistan series. “Look, there is a good chance that you’ll be coming back (early),” he told the players before they departed for the IPL.

“There is a chance you could stay out there. We may feel that if you get through to an IPL final that, maybe, that’s the best thing to do. It might be that if there’s only one of you then you’d let you go on and do that… we have to keep it pretty fluid.”

The group stage of the IPL runs until May 19 and England are keen for their World Cup-bound players to have a few days together, before they set off for the Americas. “You can’t just call people back for no reasons: there are protections,” Key said on Tuesday after announcing England’s squad.

“Without injury or England commitments, we couldn’t say to Phil Salt, for example, come back and have a rest for the next 15 days. But there is a window just before an England series when you can bring players back for England duty or injury,” he added.