IPL 2021: Josh Hazlewood opts out of the tournament

Josh Hazlewood IPL 2021: In a massive recent development, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has opted out of the upcoming 14^th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The lanky Aussie pacer has withdrawn from the global T20 cricketing extravaganza due to the constant challenging life in the bio-secure bubble environment. Hazlewood becomes the third Australian cricketer to pull out from the IPL 2021 after Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) Josh Philippe and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) Mitchell Marsh also opted out of the tournament due to same bubble fatigue.

Related: SRH all-rounder pulls out from IPL 2021-Know Why?

Josh Hazlewood pulls out from IPL 2021

Hazlewood has been playing constant cricket in the newly bio-bubble environment from August 2020 to January 2021. The Aussie pacer was part of the national squad for the limited-overs tour to England and then travelled to the UAE for the IPL 2020. Hazlewood was also part of the Australian squad for the long home season against India recently. The fast bowler played three games for CSK last year and was expected to travel to India on 1^st April to join the CSK camp.

Exclusive: Josh Hazlewood has withdrawn from his #IPL stint with @ChennaiIPL & hopes to be playing the #SheffieldShield final in a fortnight | @samuelfez https://t.co/y9ZcYGH6li pic.twitter.com/d3fcALQPyv

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 31, 2021

“It’s been a long 10 months in bubbles and quarantine at different times, so I decided to have a rest from cricket and spend some time at home and in Australia in the next two months,” said Josh Hazlewood as quoted by cricket.com.au on Wednesday.

“We’ve got a big winter ahead too. The West Indies is going to be a long tour, with Bangladesh (T20 tour) potentially thrown on the end of that. Then potentially the T20 World Cup leading into the Ashes, so it’s a big 12 months, as it always is with Australia, and I want to give myself the best chance to be mentally and physically ready for that. That’s the decision I’ve made, and it sits pretty well with me,” the Aussie pacer concluded.

Related: IPL 2021: Strongest Playing 11 Of Chennai Super Kings

IPL 2021: Who will be Josh Hazlewood’s replacement?

Due to the current coronavirus pandemic situation, it is surely very challenging to stay in a bio-secure bubble environment for long periods but pulling out so close to the start of the IPL also hampers the team’s preparations to a great extent. CSK will now have to look for a replacement for Hazlewood and they have their options in Sheldon Cottrell, Thisara Perera, Billy Stanlake, Oshane Thomas, Jason Behrendorff and many other fast bowlers who went unsold at the IPL 2021 auction.

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