When it comes to foreigners, due to the 4-player rule in IPL, some top stars don’t get a chance. Here, we take a look at the list of two players who are No.1 in the ICC rankings but might not play in IPL 2024.
It is not a surprise that this happens. Teams will look to build squads based on their philosophies. Hence, even if a cricketer does well at the international level, he is not guaranteed an IPL contract.
Note: The ICC rankings are as of December 17th, 2023.
1) No.1 ODI bowler Keshav Maharaj might not play in IPL 2024
Keshav Maharaj is the highest-ranked ODI bowler right now. However, he is yet to feature in the IPL. This is despite his doing well in recent years. It mainly has to do with his T20 game, which does not warrant a place in an IPL playing XI. Had he improved his batting skills, Keshav could have got a chance in the IPL. It needs to be seen if he would get a contract in the IPL 2024 Auctions. But that looks very unlikely and he might go unsold again.
2) Shakib Al Hasan – No.1 ODI and T20I all-rounder
Shakib Al Hasan is one of the players who are No.1 in the ICC rankings but might not play in IPL 2024. The Bangladesh all-rounder is not on the final shortlist of players who will go under the hammer on December 19th in Dubai. It is not sure if he had registered in the first place for the auctions. Had he been registered, at least one team would have shown interest in him. Hence, it can be concluded that Shakib had listed himself as unavailable for IPL 2024. Therefore, he is unlikely to feature next season.
