England all-rounder Chris Woakes has said he probably should not have officially pulled out of IPL 2020, a decision he took last month to spend more time with his wife.
Woakes, who was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs. 1.5 Crore, his base price, in the 2020 IPL auction, pulled out of the tournament in March, saying he “needed to recharge his batteries” and focus on his England career.
“By no means do I feel like I’m finished in T20,” Woakes said. “I’d still love to play in the IPL. In hindsight, I probably didn’t need to pull out. I didn’t say it at the time but we’re expecting another baby in September and that added to the decision.”
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Not long after Woakes’ announcement, the IPL’s postponement until April 15 became official, and the tournament was subsequently suspended ‘until further notice’ amid the uncertainties surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
“If I felt like I had real good opportunity to be in that T20 World Cup squad, I'd probably still go to IPL and try to produce some good form."
Chris Woakes on his withdrawal from #IPL2020 https://t.co/qR4CoLZmls
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 11, 2020
“My wife wasn’t well at home,” said Woakes. “The idea of being away from home for three months was going to be too much. Family had to come first. I want to play as much cricket as I can moving forward while looking after my body. My England career is No.1 but if opportunities come up, I’d still like to play in them.”
So far, Woakes has featured in two editions of IPL, playing a season each for Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Overall, he has played 18 games, picking 25 wickets at 23.04.
