After a lengthy delay due to a COVID outbreak in India, the second-half of the 2021 IPL season is upon us and will take place in UAE, beginning on September 25th.
Eight Australian players, headlined by Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa, have opted to withdraw themselves from the remainder of the tournament.
With the T20 World Cup shortly after the rescheduled IPL and ongoing concerns over the virus, they will stay in Australia and prepare themselves for national duties.
Those withdrawals, as well as many others, has opened the door for three Aussies to pick up replacement deals for the remainder of the IPL tournament.
See below for all the Australian players lining up in the remainder of the 2021 IPL season.
RETURNING PLAYERS
Josh Hazlewood (Chennai Super Kings)
After a brilliant summer in red-ball cricket, Hazlewood signed with Chennai as one of the franchise's key overseas players.
He opted not to travel to India for the first-half of the tournament, instead finishing the domestic season with NSW.
Hazlewood played eight games of the T20I series against West Indies and Bangladesh recently.
Marcus Stoinis (Delhi Capitals)
One of the best T20 players from Down Under will return to the IPL again for the remainder of the season.
Stoinis scored 71 runs in six innings in the first-half of the tournament, and also picked up a couple of wickets.
The all-rounder has been batting in the middle-order, which is where he will likely fit into the Australian squad for the T20 World Cup.
Steve Smith (Delhi)
At the same franchise as The Stoin, the world's best Test batsman will continue the season with Delhi, after moving across from Rajahstan after two seasons there.
Smith struggled with an elbow injury in the first-half of the season, but still managed to score 104 runs in five innings.
He isn't a certainty to play every game for Delhi, but will want to get some time in the middle before the World Cup.
Moises Henriques (Punjab)
After leading the Sixers to the BBL10 title in the Aussie summer, Henriques returned to the IPL earlier this year for the first time since 2017.
His form in the Big Bash earned him this deal, but he struggled in the first-half of the season, scoring just 16 runs in two innings.
Henriques will be hoping for an increased role with Punjab in the coming weeks.
Ben Cutting (Kolkata)
A veteran of the domestic scene here in Australia, Cutting returned to the IPL earlier in the season after a couple of years away.
His work with the Sydney Thunder in BBL10 was a real highlight for the side. His ability to pinch-hit with the bat and bowl important overs makes him a real threat.
Unfortunately, he didn't feature at all in the first-half of the tournament and may struggle to crack the side.
Chris Lynn (Mumbai)
The enigmatic Queenslander is rocks and diamonds - but there is no questions over his ability to score quick runs.
Lynn linked up with a new franchise earlier this season, after spending five years in Kolkata from 2014-2019, but played just one game in the first-half of the tournament.
He scored 49 in his sole innings to date, but was reduced to running the drinks after that.
Nathan Coulter-Nile (Mumbai)
The veteran is lining up for Mumbai for the second year in a row, and was probably wanting to improve on last year's quiet tournament.
Coulter-Nile managed just one game earlier in the season and didn't take a wicket, but will return for the second-half of the campaign.
The veteran will find it hard to crack the Mumbai outfit in the second-half of the tournamernt.
Glenn Maxwell (RCB)
The Big Show - one of Australia's best white-ball players, no doubt about it - had a quiet 2020 campaign for RCB and found himself at the centre of some criticism.
Luckily for him, he started the 2021 season in strong form, scoring 223 runs in six innings with a strike rate of 144.8 in those games.
Maxwell will be looking to continue that form as the competition resumes, and take it with him to the T20 World Cup for Australia.
Dan Christian (RCB)
What a marvel this man is! Another fantastic BBL season saw him picked up by RCB and subsequently selected for the white-ball tours of West Indies and Bangladesh.
Unfortunately, he struggled in the first-half of the tournament, scoring just three runs in his three innings.
Christian will be a 'travelling reserve' for the World Cup, but some strong performances for RCB could force the selectors' hands.
David Warner (Hyderabad)
He divides opinion like not many others do, but there is no doubting Warner's ability with the bat. Last season, he scored the most runs of any overseas player with 548 runs at 39.14.
He was named captain of the side before the tournament began, but was demoted from the role in favour of Kane Williamson after he questioned team selection.
Warner had scoreed 193 runs in six innings in the first-half of the tournament, and will want to produce plenty of runs prior to the World Cup.
NEW PLAYERS
Nathan Ellis (Punjab Kings)
The first of our mid-season pickups, Ellis is a great story and someone who has really burst onto the scene in the past couple of years.
Impressing for the Hurricanes in the BBL, the seamer has taken 38 wickets in 33 games and is likely to feature at some stage for the Kings.
Ellis is another travelling reserve for Australia in their World Cup squad.
Tim David (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
Despite being born in Singapore, David is eligible to play for Australia and has been a part of multiple T20 competitions recently.
He is a replacement player for RCB and will be looking to impress national selectors and get some game time in the IPL tournament.
Ben Dwarshuis (Delhi Capitals)
A consistent performer for the reigning BBL champions, Dwarshius will play in the IPL for the first time after being picked up as a replacement player.
The left-arm quick has taken 100 wickets in 82 matches, and will be hoping to break into the Delhi side in the coming weeks.
WITHDRAWN PLAYERS
- Jhye Richardson (Punjab)
- Riley Meredith (Punjab)
- Pat Cummins (Kolkata)
- Andrew Tye (Rajahstan)
- Daniel Sams (RCB)
- Adam Zampa (RCB)
- Kane Richardson (RCB)
- Mitchell Marsh (Hyderabad)