IPL 2024: BCCI provides update on overseas players availability; Hazlewood to miss first five weeks

The BCCI has provided a crucial update on overseas player availability for IPL 2024, ensuring full participation from major cricketing nations.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has shared crucial information regarding the availability of overseas players for the upcoming IPL 2024 season. All major players in the auction pool, except Australia's Josh Hazlewood, are set to be fully available. Hazlewood, due to personal reasons, will join the league from the first week of May.

According to the communication sent to franchises, players from Afghanistan, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, and Zimbabwe assure "full availability" throughout the tournament window from March 22 to the end of May.

Cricket Australia (CA) has assured the release of its players unless injured during the specified window, allowing them to choose between the IPL and the Sheffield Shield final, which overlaps from March 21 to 25.

England players, including those in the process of finalizing their schedule for the World T20 in June, are committed to the entire IPL duration, subject to fitness and international duty.

Despite Ireland's commitments, Cricket Ireland has agreed to release Josh Little for IPL participation. Similarly, Sri Lanka's star quartet—Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga, Matheesha Pathirana, and Dushmantha Chameera—will be fully available, unaffected by the Test format schedule against Bangladesh from March 30 to April 3.