Relief for IPL Franchises as South Africa Pushes WTC Prep to June 3

By Kavya Jain 15 May 2025, 08:03 IST

Relief for IPL Teams as CSA Delays WTC Prep

All IPL franchises can now rest easy as the Proteas confirmed to start their WTC preparations only from June 3. This allows the players to return for the remainder of the league without missing out on their international duties.

The South African players returned home after the IPL was suspended for a week. However, they are set to come back after the tensions have de-escalated between India and Pakistan.

CSA’s Earlier Statement and The U-Turn

The league is set to resume on May 17, ending on June 3. CSA initially clearly stated that the preparation for the WTC final would start from May 26. They made it clear that all Proteas stars had to return by that date.

“One thing we’ve made clear, and we are finalising it with the IPL and the BCCI, is that we are sticking to our original plan when it comes to WTC preparations with May 26 being the latest for the Test guys to come back,” CSA’s director of cricket Enoch Nkwe had said.

However, a few hours later, it was learnt that South Africa will begin their preparations from June 3. Nkwe informed that there was a discussion between BCCI, CSA, and IPL franchises that led to this decision.

“Correction – the squad will resume training for the game on June 3rd. The matter is being discussed higher up than me. At ground level, we are focusing on preps for the WTC final,” he said.

South African Players In IPL

Around 20 South African players are part of the Indian Premier League this season. Out of those, eight are named in the squad for the World Championship Final against Australia. The final will be played at Lord’s, commencing on June 11.

The eight players who are in the squad for the WTC final are: