IPL 2021: 5 big names who you will miss in the second half of the tournament

Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, and Pat Cummins

The second phase of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 is all set to take place with plenty of changes as compared to the previous leg. This includes a different venue (UAE), stricter COVID-19 protocols, and some new set of players for several franchises.

Some of the top names of the tournament have pulled out due to various reasons, which means a lot of faces will be seen on the field. Here are the top five big players who won’t be seen in action in the second phase of IPL 2021:

1. Washington Sundar (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Washington Sundar IPL RCB — Washington Sundar

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is set to miss lots of players for the remaining matches of the 14th edition of the tournament. And one of the key players is bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar, who has been ruled out due to an impending finger injury. The Virat Kohli-led side has roped in young right-arm medium pacer Akash Deep as a replacement for the 21-year-old.

2. Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals)

One of the most destructive batsmen in the limited-overs formats, Jos Buttler, won’t be seen in action for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the second leg of IPL 2021. The swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batter and his wife Louise on September 5 had welcomed their second child. As a result, he made himself unavailable for selection, and RR picked an in-form Evin Lewis from the West Indies.

3. Jonny Bairstow (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) suffered a massive shock when ace English batsman Jonny Bairstow withdrew his name right before the start of the league. The 31-year-old was in decent form during the initial matches of the cash-rich league. However, he pulled out citing personal reasons and West Indies middle-order batsman Sherfane Rutherford is set to replace him.

4. Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals)

Another player from the Rajasthan-based franchise who won’t be available for selection in the second phase of IPL 2021, is English all-rounder Ben Stokes. The top all-rounder recently announced a break from professional cricket to take care of his mental well-being. He won’t be seen in action in the upcoming T20 World Cup as well and Windies speedster Oshane Thomas will replace him at the RR dugout.

5. Pat Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders)

One of the most expensive players in the league’s history, Pat Cummins, also marked himself unavailable from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL 2021. In a recent statement, Cummins said that he and his wife are expecting the birth of their child in the middle of the IPL. In the absence of the lanky Australian, KKR’s latest signing, Tim Southee, is the most likely to lead their pace attack.

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