Shakib Al Hasan has decided to pull out of the IPL 2023. As per multiple reports, the Bangladesh all-rounder has formally informed the Kolkata Knight Riders regarding his unavailability for the season. Al Hasan has cited his commitment to international cricket and personal issues as the reasons for his absence from the league as per Cricbuzz.
Al Hasan's absence from the KKR side also questions the availability of fellow Bangladesh player Litton Das, who is also part of the Kolkata franchise. These two players are part of Bangladesh's squad for a one-off Test match against Ireland that begins on Tuesday. This will be followed by a tour of the UK, where Bangladesh are set to play three ODIs against Ireland in Chelmsford on May 9, 12 and 14.
The day before the auction on December 22, the IPL informed teams about the availability of overseas players. At the time, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had stated "limited availability" of its players. The BCB told the IPL that the Bangladesh players will be part of the Ireland series and would be "available from 8 April to 1 May."
Then on March 18, Knight Riders had communicated to the press that Shakib would be arriving in India after the third T20I against Ireland on March 31, while Litton would arrive after the Test match. But now Shakib has been named to Bangladesh's Test squad, reducing his availability to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Bangladesh squad for one-off Ireland Test:
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Litton Das, Tamim Iqbal, Shadman Islam, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Khaled Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Mahmudul Hasan Joy
