Former England skipper Jos Buttler and South Africa quick Gerald Coetzee will join the Gujarat Titans squad on Wednesday ahead of the resumption of the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 17.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Buttler and Coetzee were the only overseas players who left India after the BCCI suspended the cash-rich league last Thursday due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.
GT's other overseas players, including Rashid Khan, Sherfane Rutherford, Kagiso Rabada and Karim Janat, stayed with the rest of the squad in India.
The Caribbean side's tour to England will clash with the new schedule of the remainder of IPL 2025, which will resume on Saturday and conclude on June 3.
This means, Rutherford who has been named in the West Indies ODI squad for the three-match series in England, which is scheduled from May 29 to June 3 could miss a part of the series as will Buttler who was included in England's ODI squad for the series.
England players had been given NOCs for the entirety of the IPL but now with the tournament extended till June 3 instead of the final originally scheduled for May 25, those need to be reviewed.
As per the revised IPL schedule, the league stage ends on May 27.
Also included in the England ODI squad are Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks, who are part of RCB and Mumbai Indians respectively. Like GT, both RCB and Mumbai Indians are in race for the play-offs.
"We're keen to support the IPL and the BCCI in getting the schedule up and running, and to facilitate players' return should they choose to go back," an ECB spokesperson told PTI on Tuesday.
"No Objection Certificates have been granted based on the original IPL dates, so we'll need to review any potential extensions, particularly in relation to any clash with the final white-ball squad," the spokesperson added.
With three matches left in the group stage, Gujarat sit at the table's summit on 16 points, ahead of second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru, courtesy of their superior net run rate.
Gujarat's next fixture is against Delhi Capitals on May 18. They will finish the campaign with two home fixtures against Lucknow Super Giants on May 22 and against Chennai Super Kings on May 25 in Ahmedabad.
Most of the overseas players of the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, are expected to arrive in Bengaluru between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
KKR's Caribbean stars Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Rovman Powell and team mentor Dwayne Bravo have been in Dubai since the tournament was suspended for a week. Wicketkeeper batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is in Kabul, will go to Dubai, join the West Indies contingent and then fly to India.
South Africa tearaway Anrich Nortje will join KKR in Bengaluru from the Maldives.
KKR's Indian players and support staff are expected to arrive on Wednesday.
The defending champions are in a precarious situation regarding their title defence. The beleaguered Kolkata side is in the seventh spot, hanging in the playoffs race by mathematical calculations. KKR is sixth in the standings with 11 points, and their remaining two fixtures against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are do-or-die affairs.
If the Knight Riders stand triumphant with two wins, they will move to 15 points and will hope for other results to fall in their favour to keep their title defence alive.
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