Cricket South Africa (CSA) has reiterated that all its players involved in IPL 2025 must return home by May 26 to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) final, scheduled at Lord’s from June 11.

Eight South African players were included in the WTC final squad announced on May 13: Corbin Bosch (MI), Wiaan Mulder (SRH), Marco Jansen (PBKS), Aiden Markram (LSG), Lungi Ngidi (RCB), Kagiso Rabada (GT), Ryan Rickelton (MI), and Tristan Stubbs (DC).

Proteas head coach Shukri Conrad confirmed the board’s stance:

"The initial agreement with the IPL and BCCI was that our players would return on May 26. That remains unchanged. We want our players back by then so they have enough time before we fly out on the 30th. Discussions are ongoing at higher levels between Director of Cricket Enoch Nkwe and CSA CEO Pholetsi Moseki."

Players selected for the WTC final have been asked to report in Arundel, England by May 31. A four-day warm-up match against Zimbabwe is scheduled from June 3-6, after which the team will move to London on June 7.

However, due to a one-week suspension in the IPL schedule caused by border tensions, the league stage now ends on May 27, and playoffs begin on May 29, complicating CSA’s request. Some South African players, like Wiaan Mulder and Aiden Markram, might still return on time as SRH are out of playoff contention and LSG face slim qualification chances.

When contacted, CSA’s Director of Cricket, Enoch Nkwe, confirmed:

"We are still in discussions with the IPL and BCCI."

Other South African players in IPL 2025 but not part of the WTC squad include Dewald Brevis (CSK), Faf du Plessis and Donovan Ferreira (DC), Gerald Coetzee (GT), Quinton de Kock and Anrich Nortje (KKR), David Miller, Matthew Breetzke (LSG), Nandre Burger, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-dre Pretorius (RR), and Heinrich Klaasen (SRH).

The IPL resumes on May 17 after a week-long pause.