The cancellation of the 5th test between India and England hasn't gone down well with the hosts and their players. AS England players Dawid Malan, Chris Woakes and Jonny Bairstow pulls out from the UAE leg of IPL 2021. However, the second leg of IPL is going to start on and from 19th September in UAE.

Also Read : India's T20 World Cup Squad Announced; MS Dhoni selected as a mentor

Bairstow was scheduled to join Sunrisers Hyderabad, Dawid Malan for Punjab Kings. And Chris Woakes is suppose to join Delhi Capitals squad in UAE for IPL 2021. All of these cricketers along with India-bound players were expected to fly to the UAE on a charter from East Midlands Airport on Wednesday. But with the match being canceled, the date is all set to be brought forward. Although the IPL franchises are planning to arrange commercial flights for their squad members. However, let's see why England players are quitting the IPL 2021.

Why some England cricketers are angry and furious with India and pulls out from IPL 2021 ?

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ENGLAND are claiming India played 'fast and loose' with Covid rules the day before the Fifth Test match was cancelled.

• Unsubstantiated reports claims that the Indian cricketers even on Thursday i.e day before the match was seen venturing out on Manchester streets. While the entire Covid-19 related drama in their camp was getting unfolded.
• The report claims that the Indian players were spotted in a well-known department store in Manchester on Thursday. The report further says that another member of the Indian team attended a photoshoot.
• Every Indian player returned negative PCR tests on Thursday & still they refused taking the field on Friday.
• England is primarily very angry with the Indian squad. As they attended an autobiography launch for head coach Ravi Shastri this month. Sources described India's behaviour as "reckless" and believes that became the main reason for the positive tests in Indian squad.

Earlier, Jos Buttler had opted out due to the imminent birth of his second child. Ben Stokes has taken an indefinite break from the game for mental-health reasons and will also be unavailable for the second half. Jofra Archer is the other absentee, with an elbow injury ruling him out of cricket for the rest of the year. Rajasthan Royals has signed West Indies opener Evin Lewis and fast bowler Oshane Thomas as replacements for Buttler and Stokes.

3 teams have made their place in the IPL 2025 playoffs and only one team is yet to be decided. There is a fierce battle going on between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals for the remaining playoff spot. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians have made a three new changes in their squad.

Mumbai has announced the replacement of three foreign players. The team has included Jonny Bairstow, Charith Asalanka, and Richard Gleeson in the squad in place of Will Jacks, Ryan Rickelton, and Corbin Bosch. These three foreign players of Mumbai Indians are going to join their respective national teams after playing the last league match. In such a situation, the franchise had no other option but to bring their replacements.

Also Read: Can Shubman Gill or Sai Sudharsan break Kohli's record of most IPL runs in a single season?

Three replacement for MI

Mumbai Indians have included England's experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow in the team as a replacement for Will Jacks for Rs 5.25 crore. Bairstow has had good experience in IPL and is considered an aggressive batsman in the T20 format. His presence is expected to strengthen the top order batting of Mumbai Indians. 

At the same time, English fast bowler Richard Gleeson has been included in the team in place of Ryan Rickelton. Gleeson has been added to Mumbai Indians for Rs 1 crore. He has been signed by Mumbai Indians for Rs 1 crore. Gleeson's fast pace and ability to bowl yorkers in the death overs can prove to be important for the team.

Sri Lankan all-rounder Charith Asalanka has been included in the squad in place of Corbin Bosch for Rs 75 lakh. Asalanka can not only bat aggressively but can also give options to the team with his part-time off-spin bowling.

Also Read: IPL 2025 Playoffs Race: Who Will Claim the Final Spot?

IPL 2025 | Playoffs scenario

Mumbai Indians are currently in the playoff race. If the team qualifies for the next round, then these three new replacement players will be available for the team from the playoff matches. This will help the team to create balance and fill the gap of foreign players.

It is worth noting that Mumbai Indians have 2 matches left in the league stage. In one match, the team will face Delhi Capitals, while in its last league stage match, it will face the challenge of Punjab Kings. Punjab has already made its place in the IPL 2025 playoffs.

With the IPL 2025 playoffs just around the corner, the tension is reaching its peak. Over the years, the Indian Premier League has given fans plenty of memorable moments full of surprises at the fag end of the group stage. Generally, the fans have to wait till the last over of the group stage to know who will qualify for the IPL Playoffs.

Sometimes, it even goes to the final ball as well, to decide the fourth team to qualify.

From teams that regularly reach the playoffs to underdogs who’ve shocked everyone, the path to the final four has always been full of drama. 

Read Also | Most Wickets in IPL history

2008 | RR, KXIP, CSK, DD

2009 | DD, CSK, RCB, Deccan Chargers

2010 | MI, Deccan Chargers, CSK, RCB

Read Also | Most IPL Finals: Teams with most final appearances in IPL history

2011 | RCB, CSK, MI, KKR 

Read Also | IPL records: Most consecutive away wins in IPL history

2012 | DD, KKR, MI, CSK

2013 | CSK, MI, RR, SRH

2014 | KXIP, KKR, CSK, MI

2015 | CSK, MI, RCB, RR 

2016 | Gujarat Lions, RCB, SRH, KKR

2017 | MI, RPSG, SRH, KKR

2018 | SRH, CSK, KKR, RR

Read Also | SRH's poor performance and playoff hopes in IPL 2025: Can they rise?

2019 | MI, CSK, DC, SRH

2020 | MI, DC, SRH, RCB

2021 | DC, CSK, RCB, KKR

2022 | GT, RR, LSG, RCB

2023 | GT, LSG, CSK, MI

2024 | KKR, SRH, RR, RCB

Beyond being the champions, which teams have consistently made their way to the finals? It is time to reflect on the heroic battle and consistency in reaching the IPL final.

Check out the ones who hold the potential to beat CSK’s dominance in this field and become the team with the most appearances in IPL history.

CSK's unmatched dominance | 10 finals

Chennai Super Kings hold a remarkable record of reaching the IPL final the most number of times, with a win percentage of 50%. CSK started this journey in 2008 when they got into the final for the first time against RR.

CSK has won 5 out of 10 times in their IPL final appearances. Their quality team performance and ability to play good cricket with consistency have made them one of the most successful franchises in IPL.

They are also the only team to reach the IPL final 4 times in a row.

CSK's 10 IPL Finals:

1. vs RR (2008)- lost by 3 wickets 
2. vs MI (2010)- won by 22 runs
3. vs RCB (2011)- won by 58 runs
4. vs KKR (2012)- lost by 5 wickets 
5. vs MI (2013)- lost by 23 runs
6. vs MI (2015)- lost by 41 runs
7. vs SRH (2018)- won by 8 wickets 
8. vs MI (2019)- lost by 1 run
9. vs KKR (2021)- won by 27 runs 
10. vs GT (2023)- won by 5 wickets 

Read Also: IPL records - Batters with most 500+ runs seasons: Kohli breaks Warner's records

MI second in line | 6 finals

Mumbai Indians stand second with 6 final appearances in IPL and have won 5 out of them. They equalise the IPL title count as CSK but fall short in the number to be the team with the most final appearances in IPL history.

MI's 6 IPL Finals:

1. vs CSK (2010)- lost by 22 runs
2. vs CSK (2013)- won by 23 runs
3. vs CSK (2015)- won by 41 runs
4. vs RPS (2017)- won by 1 run
5. vs CSK (2019)- won by 1 run
6. vs DC (2020)- won by 5 wickets 

KKR and SRH are climbing the stairs | 4 finals

Following closely are Kolkata Knight Riders, who have reached the IPL final 4 times, and won thrice out of them.

Hyderabad, as a team, has also reached the finals 4 times, just with different franchises. They reached the finals in 2009 for the first time as Deccan Chargers, and later made their way thrice under the name of Sunrisers Hyderabad and won in 2016.

Read Also: Most wins after 76 games as captain in IPL

Other teams with multiple appearances in the IPL Final

The following teams have made their way to the IPL final more than once, hence, deserve a mention.

Devon Conway struck form in his second appearance of the 2025 edition of the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) albeit in a losing cause as the Men in Yellow are yet to win a game since their point-earning opener against the Mumbai Indians.

Conway had a power failure during the twilight of his innings as he was striking at 140 when the required rate was over 15-16 and the southpaw had to be retired out. However, his 69 off 49 helped him reach the milestone of 1,000 IPL runs and he became the third fastest to get to the landmark in just 24 innings, just after Shaun Marsh and Lendl Simmons.

Also Read: Most wickets for a pacer in IPL

Let's take a look at some of the quickest players to have scaled the 1000 IPL runs in terms of number of innings played.

Fastest to Reach 1000 IPL Runs

7. Chris Gayle | 27 Innings

Despite his heroics in the IPL, Chris Gayle had a forgettable start to the competition with two-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders. After scoring just 400 runs in the first two seasons, Gayle’s resurgence started when RCB bought him in 2011. He went on to score more than 2000 runs in the next three seasons. 

Hence, while Gayle is the seventh-fastest batsman to score 1000 IPL runs, he is the fastest to reach 3000 and 4000 runs. He boasts of scoring six centuries and 31 half-centuries in the tournament.

6. Jonny Bairstow | 26 Innings

Jonny Bairstow is the sixth-fastest player to smash 1,000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He achieved the feat in the game against Delhi Capitals in 2021 season when he played a blistering knock of 38 runs off just 18 balls. The English batsman took 26 innings to achieve the milestone.

In 50 IPL matches played so far for SRH and Punjab Kings, Bairstow has 1589 runs to his name. He has been a prolific opener in the competition.

5. Matthew Hayden | 25 Innings

Legendary Australian batter Matthew Hayden played just 32 IPL games, all for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), spanning the first three seasons of the tournament. He notched up the 1,000th run of his IPL career in his final year while making his 25th appearance for the team. 

While Hayden scored just 189 runs from the four innings he played in the inaugural edition, the legendary opening batter delivered an ‘Orange Cap’ winning performance the following year with 572 runs off 12 innings. Moreover, Matthew Hayden also clattered 346 runs in 16 innings of IPL 2010 to play a crucial role in CSK’s title-winning run.

Hayden finished his IPL career with 1107 runs for the Men in Yellow.

4. Sai Sudharsan | 25 Innings

Sai Sudharsan also completed 1000 runs in his 25th IPL innings for the Gujarat Titans. Having made his IPL debut back during the 2022 edition of the tournament for the franchise, the left-handed batter has so far notched up 1,225 runs off 29 matches at a splendid batting average of 47.12. 

Moreover, Sudharsan has maintained a staggering strike rate of 140.80, and has recorded eight half-centuries and one century in the process.

3. Devon Conway | 24 Innings

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Devon Conway took just 24 innings to complete 1000 IPL runs. The blistering top-order batter made his tournament debut back in 2022 for CSK, and has so far earned 25 caps for them up until the first couple of weeks of the IPL 2025 season in India. 

By the time of recording 1,000 runs for the franchise, Conway averaged a healthy 47.90, all while boasting an astonishing strike rate of 140.30. With 1,006 runs from 24 innings, Conway has also glittered his IPL career with ten stunning half-centuries.

Also Read: IPL facts: Players to play 100 IPL matches for each team

2. Lendl Simmons | 23 Innings

Lendl Simmons made his IPL debut in 2014 for Mumbai Indians. it took him just 23 innings to complete 1,000 runs, doing so during the 2017 edition of the tournament.

A two-time T20 World Cup winner for the West Indies, attacking wicketkeeper-batter accrued 1,079 runs from 29 matches in IPL at a healthy average of 39.96.

Notably, Simmons played all his IPL matches for the Mumbai Indians franchise between the years 2014 and 2017, and lifted the title on two separate occasions under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. During Mumbai Indians’ emphatic 2015 title win, Simmons aggregated 540 runs from 13 innings at an average of 45.

1. Shaun Marsh | 21 Innings

Shaun Marsh holds the record for scoring the fastest 1000 IPL runs. Marsh racked up over 500 runs for the Punjab Kings franchise in 2011 to complete 1,000 runs in his IPL career, doing so in just his 21st innings to remain the fastest cricketer in tournament history to scale the landmark figure.

The left-handed opening batter played all his IPL matches for the Punjab Kings, from 2008 up until his final appearance in 2017 and scored 2477 runs in 71 Matches.

Marsh will forever be remembered as IPL’s first-ever ‘Orange Cap’ winner, considering the former Australian opener won the prestigious honor by hauling 616 runs from 11 innings during the inaugural 2008 edition. 

The 2024 Abu Dhabi T10 is back with more excitement and star-studded line-ups to entertain the fans. Famous power-hitting stars like Dinesh Karthik, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, and Marcus Stoinis are joining in. Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson are also there to bring the heat in.

Two New Teams Join the Fight

Earlier, the tournament played 8 teams, which got increased to 10 this year. This season sees two new teams: Bolts Ajman and UP Nawabs. More teams mean more action. The tournament is ready for high energy.

Defending Champs and Returning Teams

The defending champion New York Strikers will be back to protect their title. Apart from the Deccan Gladiators, others like the Northern Warriors and Delhi Bulls will be back in full strength. The Bengal Tigers and Team Abu Dhabi are also ready. Morrisville Samp Army will compete as well. The Chennai Brave Jaguars have a new name. They were formerly called The Chennai Braves.

Player Draft to Finalize Squads

Teams are doing their preparations after being done with their retentions and signings. The big Players Draft happens soon. It’s on October 17 at 6 pm UAE time. Over 400 players are up for grabs. Teams will finalize their lineups after this.

Disney Star will cover the event, airing in English and other languages. The tournament will be played from November 21 to December 2. The final will be played on UAE’s 53rd National Day at Zayed Cricket Stadium. The stadium will host until 2028. 

Team Retentions and signings

New York Strikers
New Signings: Matheesha Pathirana, Donovan Ferreira
Retentions: Kieron Pollard, Mohammad Amir, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hossain, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Jawadulla

Deccan Gladiators
New Signings: Jos Buttler, Anrich Nortje, Marcus Stoinis
Retentions: Maheesh Theekshana, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Tom Koher-Cadmore, Zahoor Khan

Delhi Bulls
New Signings: Wanindu Hasaranga, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Matthew Wade
Retentions: Rovman Powell, Muhammad Rohid, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazlahaq Farooqi, James Vince

Team Abu Dhabi
New Signings: Jonny Bairstow, Lockie Ferguson, Shimron Hetmyer, AM Ghazanfar
Retentions: Phil Salt, Noor Ahmad, and Kyle Mayers

Northern Warriors
New Signings: Trent Boult, Finn Allen, Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Saqib Mahmood
Retentions: Colin Munro, Azmatullah Omarzai, Ankur Sangwan

Morrisville Samp Army
New Signings: David Willey, Imad Wasim
Retentions: Faf du Plessis, Qais Ahmad, Andries Gous

Bangla Tigers
New Signings: Shakib Al Hasan, Rashid Khan, Liam Livingstone, Iftikhar Ahmed, Dinesh Karthik
Retentions: Hazratullah Zazai, Dasun Shanaka, Joshua Little

Chennai Brave Jaguars
New Signings: Chris Lynn, Nuwan Thushara, Thisara Perera, Dan Lawrence, and Rassie van der Dussen
Retentions: Aayan Khan, George Munsey, Bhanuka Rajapaksa

UP Nawabs
New Signings: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, and André Fletcher

Bolts Ajman
New Signings: James Neesham, Mujheeb Ur Rahman, Lungi Ngidi, Gulbadin Naib, Haider Ali