English international batsman Jason Roy is dropping out of the IPL and take a short break from cricket to recover from bio-bubble fatigue.
The aggressive opener, who cost the Gujarat Titans INR 2 crore in the Mega Auction last month, recently welcomed a second child into his family and will join them at home to recalibrate.
In a message to Instagram, he said: “With everything going on in the world over the last 3 years, it’s added up and taken a toll on me.”
“I feel it’s only right that I spend some quality time with my family. As well as spending time working on myself and my game over the next couple of months leading into a busy year.”
His departure leaves the Gujarat Titans in a spot of bother and will also ignite debate surrounding the attritional requirements of the biosecure cricketing environment and whether more could be done to help sports stars through them.
The Titans To Miss Roy’s Runs
It’s not the ideal start to life in the IPL for the Titans. The league’s newcomers will miss the man who has scored 329 runs across 13 IPL matches at an average of 29.90 and a strike rate of 129.01. Previously in the IPL, Roy has played for the Gujarat Lions (2017), Delhi Daredevils (2018) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2021).
The news will be particularly painful given the form Roy appeared to be in for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League, which finished at the end of last month. The opener hit 303 runs at an average of 50.50 across six matches – at a mammoth strike rate of 170.22.
Who Will Replace Roy?
There is no replacement finalised yet, but there is no shortage of talent out there. Some of the unsold batters from the Mega Auction include Suresh Raina, Steve Smith, Shakib Al Hasan, and Aaron Finch – all with a base price of INR 2 crores.
In truth, though, there are very few batsmen that possess the sort of destructive power they would require at the top of the order to fill the void Roy is vacating.
Will Biosecure Environments Improve For Players?
The impact of biosecure bubbles on cricket players is becoming a concern among many in the game. In a recent interview with the BBC, England legend Paul Collingwood cited his concerns about the effects it can have on a player’s mental health.
He said: “You can’t even explain what it’s like until you experience it. I just hope there are no ramifications moving forward because when they come, they won’t be obvious next week or the week after. These are things that might come out down the line. That’s what scares me”.
The IPL is yet to confirm the protocols surrounding biosecure environments, but there is some speculation the rules will be eased to help players cope with the demands.