NEW DELHI:  England’s Jonny Bairstow is leading an exodus of foreign stars from the Indian Premier League as the looming World Cup draws top names away for international duty.
Bairstow was out for a duck in his final innings of the season for Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday after being a key player for the franchise with 445 runs in 10 matches in the high-octane Twenty20 competition.
Hyderabad’s batting powerhouse David Warner is also in line to leave the IPL in the next week to team up with his Australia teammates before the 50-over global showpiece in England and Wales, starting on May 30.
The world’s most popular Twenty20 league ends on May 12, leaving most of the eight teams to rely on their benches as they race toward the playoffs.
Senior sports journalist Ayaz Memon believes the glitzy IPL will lose some of its sheens as a result. “It will have a pretty big impact,” Memon told the Media.
“If you look at players like David Warner, Jonny Bairstow, and even some of the West Indies stars like an Andre Russell, it’s going to take away a lot of the luster and the star value.”
Warner, who leads the IPL batting chart with 574 runs, will be irreplaceable for Hyderabad who has relied on the opener to set up big totals.
The left handed-right handed batting combination of Warner and Bairstow has provided a series of blazing starts, including a record IPL opening stand of 185.
“But this something that was anticipated and all franchises have back-ups in place. It gives a chance to some of the Indian talents to come in and shine,” said Memon.

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