Have England players lost interest in the IPL?

Are England Players Falling Out of Love with the IPL? Or Is It the Other Way Around?

And then there were ten.

As it stands, only ten England players are part of IPL 2025. Two — Harry Brook and Brydon Carse — were initially picked but have since pulled out (Carse due to injury). That’s a notable drop from last year’s tally of 18, raising the question: What’s changed?

Has the IPL lost its appeal for England’s players? Are franchises losing interest in English talent? Or is this just part of a broader shift?

ECB’s Influence and Player Workload

According to former England opener Nick Knight, a key factor is England's own scheduling and priorities. Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 TimeOut, Knight pointed to Rob Key, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, as someone who’s made it a priority to have his best players available for England duties.

“They’ve got a five-Test series in India, then an Ashes,” Knight said. “Multi-format players like Harry Brook and Mark Wood are now very well looked after — they don’t necessarily need to play in every league around the world.”

The idea is simple: with so much international cricket, including marquee Test series, there’s growing reluctance — or even necessity — to avoid IPL commitments, especially for players whose bodies need managing.

Shifting Market Value

Another factor is the changing stock of England players. Not long ago, they were white-ball royalty — 2019 ODI World Cup champions and 2022 T20 World Cup winners. During that period, they were hot properties in the IPL, commanding huge bids at auctions.

But recent performances have dented that image. As ESPNcricinfo’s Matt Roller pointed out, England’s disappointing showings at ICC events have led to a dip in demand. Knight echoed this sentiment: "Perhaps the stock of some of these players isn’t quite as high now... A few players are just less in demand than you'd expect."

Take Sam Curran — a T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament not long ago, who then earned a massive IPL deal. But when form fades, so can franchise interest.

Who’s Still in the Mix?

Here are the ten England players currently in IPL 2025:

• Moeen Ali

• Jofra Archer

• Jacob Bethell

• Jos Buttler

• Sam Curran

• Will Jacks

• Liam Livingstone

• Jamie Overton

• Phil Salt

• Reece Topley

Notably, Ben Duckett was approached by Delhi Capitals as a potential replacement for Brook — but turned down the offer, choosing not to join the IPL this season.

Skill Development: The Catch-22

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu offered an interesting perspective: many England players have grown as T20 cricketers because of their IPL exposure, particularly in learning how to play spin on slower pitches. But now, with fewer of them in the league, they might miss out on precisely that kind of development.

“We saw England in India earlier this year — they were playing one-dimensional cricket in the middle overs, especially against spin,” Rayudu observed. “To go hard against spin, you need skill — and you develop that in the subcontinent, in tournaments like the IPL.”

So, it’s a bit of a Catch-22: the IPL helped England players get better at T20s, but a dip in performance and changing priorities may now be keeping them out.

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