While a few international players are yet to link up with their respective squads due to injuries, others may skip the tournament as part of workload management plans. Delhi Capitals also mentioned that they’re waiting for Cricket Australia to take a call on Mitchell Starc’s participation, as he has yet to receive an NOC while they monitor his workload.

The responsibility of finalising participation, however, lies entirely with the franchises.

“It is up to the franchises to decide on the participation of some foreign players who are missing the tournament. Only the injured players are yet to join, while some others are managing workload concerns. That decision will rest with the franchises. The IPL will commence as scheduled and with full fanfare,” an IPL official told IANS.

The responsibility of finalising participation, however, lies entirely with the franchises.

Despite these concerns, the league remains confident of a smooth start, maintaining that the tournament will retain its scale and spectacle when it begins. The 19th edition of the cash-rich event, featuring 10 teams and 74 matches, is set to begin on March 28 with a clash between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.