Following the postponement of England’s limited-overs tour to Bangladesh, Eoin Morgan has confirmed he will return to Kolkata Knight Riders for the rescheduled second half of the IPL in the UAE in September-October.
England was scheduled to play three one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals in Bangladesh in September and October, but the ECB and BCB issued statements on Tuesday morning stating that the visit had been “mutually decided” to be postponed until March 2023. The IPL is set to return on September 19 after being postponed midway through the season earlier this year, allowing England’s white-ball stars to participate ahead of the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Morgan confirmed that he intends to return to captain the Knight Riders for the remainder of the IPL after his London Spirit side was defeated by Northern Superchargers in the Hundred at Lord’s on Tuesday night, and said that the involvement of other England players with contracts in the tournament was a matter of personal choice.
Morgan explained, “It’s a completely personal decision.” “I think it was a win-win situation in any case.” We’d be playing under unfamiliar conditions if we went to Bangladesh. If some players go to the IPL, they’ll play in conditions similar to the World Cup, or they’ll rest if they need to.
“Between now and then, we have a lot of cricket to play. We’ve planned for the trip to go ahead – it’s been in the works for a while – but, considering the nature of how we now compete and live our lives, it’s not a bad idea for guys to take time off or travel to the IPL if they feel refreshed and have the energy.”
The final two remaining T20I matches for England before the World Cup begin on October 17 will be played in Pakistan on October 14 and 15, with both the ECB and the PCB confident that the tour will go place. The IPL final is also scheduled for October 15, which might result in a showdown for any players whose clubs make it that far in the tournament.