Pat Cummins news: Why will KKR’s Pat Cummins not return for IPL 2021 Phase 2?

Pat Cummins: The Australian speedster is said to have decided against returning for the second phase of Indian Premier League 2021.

Australia and Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Pat Cummins is said to have decided against returning for the second phase of the 14th season of the Indian Premier League in the UAE.

Cummins was among the Australian contingent which had to spend two weeks in Maldives before returning to Australia to undergo another two-week quarantine period after IPL 2021 was postponed midway through its league phase due to several players testing positive for COVID-19.

In seven T20s for Knight Riders before the season was brought to a halt, Cummins had picked nine wickets at an average of 26.33, an economy rate of 8.83 and a strike rate of 17.88 to be the best bowler for his team. In seven innings with the bat in hand, Cummins had outscored his captain Eoin Morgan scoring 93 runs at a strike rate of 166.07 including a half-century against Chennai Super Kings.

It was before IPL 2020 that KKR had bought Cummins for a gargantuan price of INR 15.5 crore making him the costliest buy of that auction. In his second stint for Kolkata since then, Cummins has picked 21 wickets in 21 matches at an economy and strike rate of 8.19 and 22.52 respectively.

Why will KKR’s Pat Cummins not return for IPL 2021 Phase 2?

It was a report in The Sydney Morning Herald which talked about Cummins’ unavailability for the remainder of IPL 2021. According to the report, Cummins could be rested for the tour of West Indies due to family reasons.

“David Warner and Pat Cummins could be rested from the West Indies tour because of family reasons – others could follow after a draining year in several bubbles – and Cummins, despite a multimillion-dollar IPL contract, has already said he will not return to the T20 tournament this season,” stated the report.

ALSO READ: Will English cricketers take part in Indian Premier League Phase 2?

It is worth mentioning that Cummins and fiancee Becky Boston are expecting their first baby in Spring. With IPL 2021 most likely to be played in September-October, the same could be a reason for Cummins to skip the cash-rich tournament.

With most teams having packed international calendars, overseas players’ availability for IPL 2021 is going to be a huge challenge for the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). Going forward, expect players to opt out of IPL 2021 due to prior international commitments.