England's T20 World Cup hero Alex Hales is all set to skip the Indian Premier League next year due to international commitments. Hales had scored an unbeaten half-century, alongside captain Jos Buttler, as England pulverized India by 10 wickets in the semifinal before going on to win the tournament by beating Pakistan in the final. The news of Hales skipping IPL 2023 was confirmed by his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders on the IPL retentions deadline day.
Hales joins compatriot Sam Billings and Australian Test and ODI captain to miss the next season of IPL. This is a big loss for KKR, who would have expected these three players to be crucial members of the squad.
The team led by Shreyas Iyer will now have to make some smart buys in the mini auction, slated to take place in Kochi on December 23.