IPL 2024: Slated to play for KKR, Jason Roy reveals why he pulled out of the tournament

KKR roped in Phil Salt as replacement after Jason Roy pulled out of the tournament.

Out of favor England opener Jason Roy has revealed why he opted out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Roy was retained by his franchise Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and scored 285 runs at an average of 35.62 and a strike rate of 151.59 in IPL 2023.

Roy was supposed to be part of the KKR squad for the IPL 2024 as well, but he pulled out at the start of March citing personal reasons. He was subsequently replaced by his England countrymate, batter Phil Salt.

Jason Roy claimed that a tough schedule and a desire to spend quality time with his family influenced his decision to boycott the ongoing IPL 2024, as he has already played a lot of cricket throughout the world in the previous 16 months.

Roy began his year 2024 with the Chennai Braves in the T10 league, then moved on to the Durban Super Giants in the SA20 2024 before joining the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for two ILT20 matches. Five days later, the England star joined the Quetta Gladiators of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024.

I’ve got a young family; I’m a grown man: Jason Roy on pulling out of IPL 2024

Speaking on The Athlete’s Voice podcast, Jason Roy revealed that he wanted to celebrate his daughter’s fifth birthday with the family, and it was coinciding with the start of the ongoing IPL 2024.

He appreciated KKR’s trust in him and thanked them for their support and understanding of his decision. Roy also emphasized the need to prioritize self-care, his body, and his mindset, citing tiredness from over-involvement in the game.

Jason Roy said on the podcast: “I basically said to myself, I’m just going to listen to my head, listen to my heart and figure it out from there on in. That was a huge learning curve for me, to be able to make decisions like I have this year, you know, and it can look a certain way. But it’s nothing to do with anyone else, it’s absolutely nothing to do with anyone else.”

“It’s your decision – I’ve got a young family; I’m a grown man and I’ve made the decision off the back of a lot of thoughts. I’ve not just woken up one morning and thought, ‘You know what – I actually don’t feel like getting on that flight to India’. A lot of thought has gone into it, and yeah, it’s become far easier to talk about and a far easier decision, just because you know, especially from past experiences, what that can do to you,” Roy signed off.

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