England cricketer Jason Roy recently spoke about his decision to withdraw from the ongoing IPL 2024. Roy said that he prioritized his physical and mental well-being and that is why he decided to skip the ongoing IPL season with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). .
Roy joined KKR in 2023 for INR 2.8 crore as an injury replacement. He put up an impressive performance with the bat by scoring 285 runs at a strike rate of 151.59.
Given their impressive batting show in the last season, KKR retained England’s opener for the ongoing IPL 2024 but withdrew from the tournament due to personal reasons.
Speaking on The Athlete’s Voice podcast, Jason Roy revealed that a demanding schedule and his desire to spend quality time with his family inspired him to decide to skip the ongoing IPL 2024 as he had already played a lot of cricket around the world in the past. 16 months.
Jason Roy expresses gratitude for KKR’s support
Notably, Roy was part of the Chennai Braves in the T10 league and then played in the SA20 2024 for the Durban Super Giants before playing two ILT20 matches for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Five days later, the England star joined the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024.
Roy further revealed that he wanted to celebrate his daughter’s fifth birthday with the family, and that it coincided with the start of the ongoing IPL 2024. Then there were other personal reasons for not traveling to India for the cash-rich T20 league, especially his health.
Meanwhile, the England starter thanked KKR for their trust in him and expressed his gratitude for their support and understanding of his decision. Roy also highlighted the importance of prioritizing self-care, his body and his mindset, as he felt fatigued from being too involved in the game.
A lot of thought has gone into it: Jason Roy
Jason Roy said on the podcast: “I basically told myself: I’m going to listen to my head, I’m going to listen to my heart and figure it out from there. It was a big learning curve for me, to be able to make decisions like I made this year, you know, and it can look a certain way. But it has nothing to do with anyone else, it has absolutely nothing to do with anyone else.”
He said goodbye saying: “It’s your decision: I have a young family; I am an adult man and I made the decision after much reflection. I didn’t wake up one morning and think, ‘You know what? ‘Actually, I don’t feel like taking that flight to India.’ A lot of thought has been put into it and yes, it has become much easier to talk about and a much easier decision, simply because you know, especially from past experiences, what that can do to you.”
Notably, Roy was later replaced by England and Lancashire batsman Phil Salt in the KKR team. KKR are currently in great form in the ongoing IPL 2024, having won three of their four matches so far.