The T20 World Cup champion will replace Will Jacks of the Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2025 playoffs

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 will resume on Saturday, May 17 as tensions escalate between India and Pakistan. There are only 16 games left in the season, and the playoff championship game is intensifying. There are a quarter of the Mumbai Indians (MIs). But as one of their star players, Will Jacks, the team could face a major setback that could be unavailable for a large part of the game.

According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, Jacks are expected to miss the IPL 2025 playoffs as he chose the upcoming three-game winning streak ODI and three-game winning streak T20I series in the England selection. The ODI series’ schedule matches the IPL playoffs, which means Jacks may not be able to play if MI wins a seat in the last four games.

Given Jacks’ potential absence, ESPN Cricinfo reports that England’s well-known ticket inspector batsman Jonny Bairstow will step in his replacement in the MI team, depending on the team’s playoff qualification. Bairstow, not sold at the IPL 2025 auction, is currently in the County Championship and is expected to travel to India after the match against Surrey. If his IPL deal is implemented, Bairstow will miss a county championship game and two T20 blast fixtures.

Additionally, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced that their players will not be allowed to remain in their IPL franchise along with IPL franchises after May 26. So, if the team qualifies, MI’s South African duo Corbin Bosch and Ryan Rickleton may also be unable to play in the playoffs. As the game progresses, the dynamics of player availability will undoubtedly play a key role in shaping the results of the IPL 2025 playoffs.

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