New Delhi: Australian and Royal Challengers Bangalore cricketers Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson have decided to opt out from the remainder of the ongoing IPL 2021 citing personal reasons, the franchise confirmed on Monday.
The Australian pair join countryman and Rajasthan Royals pacer Andrew Tye, who left midway from the league as he feared getting “locked out” of his own country in the wake of a COVID-19 surge in India.
“Adam Zampa & Kane Richardson are returning to Australia for personal reasons and will be unavailable for the remainder of IPL season. Royal Challengers Bangalore offers complete support to them in all the possible way we can,” RCB said in a statement.
Leg-spinner Zampa was bought by RCB for Rs 1.5 crore while franchise spent Rs 4 crore to buy pacer Richardson at the players’ auction. While Richardson featured in one game in IPL 2021, Zampa hasn’t been able to make it to the eleven.
Tye flew to Sydney on Sunday via Mumbai and Doha, citing the “stress of bubble life” and concerns about borders closing in Australia.
The 34-year-old had not got a game with the Royals so far and his contract with the franchise was worth Rs one crore.
“I just thought I should try and get on the front foot and get home before I got locked out of the country. I think I’ve had 11 days at home and out of the bubble since August,” he told Australian radio station SEN.
“There’s definitely concerns. A lot of guys have been in touch today once they’ve realised I was leaving. Some of the guys are very interested in what route I took home and how I approached it.
I’m not sure if I’ll be the only one (returning), but that’s too early for me to say,” Tye added.
There are as many as 17 Australian cricketers featuring in the IPL including big names such as Pat Cummins, David Warner, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell, besides coaches and support staff like Ricky Ponting and David Hussey.
With the second wave of the pandemic ravaging India, and cases hitting new peaks by the day, there is mounting fear among the Australian cricket contingent featuring in the IPL 2021.
India registered 3,52,991 fresh cases of the Novel Coronavirus and 2812 casualties in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day spike in terms of cases and deaths since the pandemic hit, according to the data updated by the Union Health Ministry on Monday morning. (UNI)