IPL: Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra of CSK likely to miss the start of IPL 2025

New Zealand's 2025 white-ball bilateral tour of Pakistan is set to clash with IPL 2025 and this will make it difficult for New Zealand players to play in the initial phase of the IPL. CSK duo of Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway are going to get affected by this.

Five time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had a good 2025 Mega-Auction and they have built a solid squad ahead of the next edition of the tournament. The franchise managed to re-acquire the services of the duo of Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway in the Mega-Auction and they also bought R Ashwin, who played for the franchise between 2009 to 2015.

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) will be kicking off from the 14th of March onwards and in this situation, the New Zealand player are going to face issues as the T20 International and One Day International series between the Kiwis and Pakistan is scheduled to start in the same month as well. 

This will make it difficult for players like Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santnwr, Bevan Jacobs and Glenn Phillips to participate in the first three weeks of the 2025 edition of the IPL.

Why is the duo of Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway likely to miss the starting phase of IPL 2025? 

The New Zealand players will be staying in Pakistan post the conclusion of 2025 Champions Trophy on the 9th of March. From 16th of March to 5th of April, the Black Caps and the Shaheens will be squaring off versus each other in five T20 International games and three One Day International encounters. This is the reason why the duo of Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway will most likely miss the start of IPL 2025.

Even during the previous edition of the tournament, a white ball Cricket series took place between the same teams. At that time, a total of nine Kiwi players priorotized the IPL over the bilateral white-ball tour of Pakistan and played in the cash-rich T20 league. This time around though, there are doubts regarding the New Zealand Cricket Board agreeing to let their main players skip the tour of Pakistan and play in the IPL. 

The New Zealand Cricket Board has not taken any decision yet regarding the participation of their players in the 18th edition of the IPL. Last time around, the BCCI requested the NZC to let nine players miss the Pakistan series and play in the IPL. This time around too, the Cricket Governing Body of India is expected to make a request to the New Zealand Cricket Board in advance and resolve this issue by January of 2025.

If the duo of Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway are not given the permission to skip the Pakistan tour in favour of the IPL, then a lot of big problems are likely to be created for the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK). 

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