The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not pleased with Zimbabwe pacer Blessing Muzarabani pulling out of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the last minute and opting for the Indian Premier League (IPL). The tall speedster was acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday and will represent the three-time champions in the upcoming 19th edition of the tournament, set to get underway on March 28. Earlier, he was picked up by Islamabad United for PKR 11 million. However, with the Indian franchise approaching him, Muzarabani chose the IPL gig over the PSL.
According to a report in Geo Super, the PCB are now planning to take legal action against the 29-year-old. Earlier, Muzarabani was named as Islamabad United’s replacement for Shamar Joseph.
This is the second consecutive year that a player initially contracted with the PSL opted to join an IPL team, with both tournaments running concurrently. Last season, South Africa pacer Corbin Bosch did the same after being picked as a Diamond Pick by Peshawar Zalmi. He later joined the Mumbai Indians as an injury replacement.
Speaking of Muzarabani, he was Zimbabwe’s standout performer at the T20 World Cup, taking 13 wickets in six matches and finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker. His performance helped Zimbabwe top Group B and qualify for the Super 8s.
He returned with four wickets against Australia, helping the Sikandar Raza-led side register an emphatic victory during the group stage.
PSL to start on March 26
The upcoming edition of the PSL is slated to begin on March 26, just two days before the start of the IPL. There are two new teams in the tournament, and the eight-team tournament will run for more than a month, with the final scheduled for May 3.
On the other hand, IPL’s final will be played on May 31. The BCCI has announced only the schedule for the first 16 days, and the remaining matches will be confirmed once the Election Commission announces the poll dates for West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Assam.
The IPL 2026 will begin on March 26 with the tournament opener between defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad. KKR will play their opening match the next day against the five-time champions, the Mumbai Indians.