IPL 2021: Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson pull out of the tournament

Australian bowlers Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson have decided to pull out from the ongoing IPL season. The duo has cited personal reasons and will soon be heading back to Australia. A few hours before this, Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Andrew Tye left midway from the league. The Australian pacer feared getting locked out of his own country in the wake of a COVID-19 surge in India. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa was bought for Rs 1.5 crore while RCB spent Rs 4 crore for Kane Richardson at the mini-auction.

A few days back, Rajasthan Royal's all-rounder Liam Livingstone has opted out of the Indian Premier League due to bubble fatigue. The English cricketer has already headed back home. Liam Livingstone was bought by the Royals in the IPL 2021 mini-auction for his base price of Rs 75 lakh. The 27-year-old did not feature in any of the three games Rajasthan played in IPL 202. After the departure of star all-rounder Ben Stokes, Livingstone had the chance of replacing his teammate in the playing XI. However, the right-handed batsman opted to withdraw from the tournament and head back home.

The situation outside the IPL bubble is quite grim: Ricky Ponting

ESPNCricinfo confirmed that several overseas cricketers, mainly from Australia, are opting out of IPL 2021. The players are avoiding the risk of not returning home later. That comes after several countries have banned flights from India because of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australian bowlers Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson are going to get back home just days after the Australian government declared that they would reduce the number of permitted flights arriving from India by 30%. Many other Australian players currently playing in the IPL have expressed their concerns about the deteriorating situation in India. Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting has also called the problem 'quite grim'.

The RCB duo becomes the latest cricketers to exit the IPL 2021 bio-bubble this week. Zampa and Richardson opting out mean that a total of three Australians has now decided to leave the tournament mid-way in the span of two days. Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson's unavailability in the tournament will bring the number of overseas players at RCB camp down to six. Royal Challengers Bangalore will now have the option of naming replacements, and it remains to be seen who they pick to fill their reduced squad now.

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