Adam Zampa pulls out of IPL 2024

In a surprising turn of events, Australian cricketer Adam Zampa has withdrawn from this year’s Indian Premier League citing personal reasons, leaving his team, Rajasthan Royals, in a quandary. The leg-spinner, whom the Royals retained for a handsome sum, has decided to opt out due to family commitments, confirmed by his manager.

Zampa’s absence comes as a blow to the Royals, who had pinned their hopes on his spin prowess. Despite the presence of top Indian spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the squad, the Aussie’s contributions were highly valued. In the previous season, he made a notable impact with six appearances, bagging eight wickets at an economy rate of 8.54.

The decision seems to stem from a combination of factors, including the Aussie national’s desire to spend more time with his young family and the toll of a packed cricketing schedule. Having participated in various tournaments like the BBL and representing Australia across formats, the spinner possibly felt the strain of being away from home for extended periods.

This setback adds to the Royals’ woes, as they are already grappling with the absence of Prasidh Krishna due to injury. With both Zampa and Krishna unavailable, the team finds themselves in dire need of reinforcements.

The medical side is an area where we’re trying to work much harder: Manoj Badale

Speaking on the challenges posed by such situations, Manoj Badale, the co-owner of the franchise, highlighted the importance of closer collaboration with the BCCI’s medical department. Badale emphasized the need for better player management strategies, especially concerning injuries, to mitigate the impact on franchises.

“There’s always areas you’d like to keep pushing [the BCCI] on,” the co-owner told Sky Sports Cricket Podcast. “Clearly, the medical side of it is really important, given how much these players are being asked to play across formats.”

“We’re without Prasidh Krishna again this season and that’s tough as a franchise, when you’ve bet 7-8% of your entire player spend on a particular player and then that player is unavailable for the whole tournament, that hurts you. The medical side is an area where we’re trying to work much harder.”