In IPL 2026, there has been an arguably new trend of overseas players returning home for injury scans. Whenever the players get injured, their host boards call them back. Many of the players who return home for scans are often among the most important for their national teams. This year, there have been three very key examples of this happening.
SRH captain Pat Cummins, Punjab Kings all-rounder Cooper Connolly, and RCB batter Phil Salt all returned to their respective countries (Australia and England, respectively) from IPL 2026 for scans and rehab after getting injured.
In this article, we will look at the three key reasons as to why players take this arguably drastic step rather than stay back in India for treatment.
Cricket Boards Control Player Medical Decisions Of Centrally Contracted Stars
The most obvious example of this scenario is KKR all-rounder Cameron Green. Very early in the season, KKR Ajinkya Rahane was asked when exactly he would Green be fit to bowl again. He responded with three words: “Ask Cricket Australia.”
Later reports showed that CA had laid out a pathway for Green to return to bowling and shared it with KKR as well. CA did something similar with Australia’s ‘Big Three’ fast bowlers.
Mitchell Starc (Delhi Capitals), Pat Cummins (SRH), and Josh Hazlewood (RCB) all had to receive permission from Cricket Australia before joining their IPL teams. As a result, Starc has played just 1 match, Cummins has played just 3, and Hazlewood has played just 6 matches in this IPL.
All three of them were injured either during or after the Ashes, which were held from the last week of November 2025 to the first week of January 2026. Cricket Australia had also prevented Cooper Connolly from bowling and had called him back to Perth for scans on his back.
The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has a similar policy in this regard. This was illustrated when Phil Salt left for the UK for a scan on his finger following his injury.
CA and ECB aren’t the only boards taking this careful approach. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has also blocked the NOC (No-Objection Certificates) of at least two players (RCB’s Nuwan Thushara and LSG’s Wanindu Hasaranga) and prevented them from participating in IPL 2026.
Players Trust The Medical Ecosystem Back Home More
Naturally, all players will have an affinity for the ecosystem that is present in their home countries. Even when they are present in India for the IPL, they will easily have access to the best healthcare facilities in India, courtesy of the billionaire owners.
For most players, though, the comfort of their own doctors, especially those with their own home boards, is non-negotiable. When treated by the board, players can also be assured that their needs are being met fully since the board wants a fully fit player.
When playing for their national sides, these overseas players are rarely rushed back into the setup too early. IPL teams, on the other hand, are more often than not too eager to get the full value out of their million-dollar investments.
Insurance Coverage, Contracts And Liability Issues
Like with many other things, players’ injury rehabs are also covered by insurance and specific terms of their contracts. When players get treated outside, issues regarding their insurance coverage arise.
Since each board has its own healthcare providers from their home country, they also have insurance companies that operate from there. Violation of these terms results in issues surrounding liability.
In many cases, insurance companies do not cover medical help from sources not covered by them. It is almost impossible to find an English or Australian insurance company that would cover a doctor in India.
When players violate the terms of their central contract laid out by insurance companies, it also opens them up to litigation and breach of contract. For a centrally contracted player in a big cricketing country like England or Australia, this is a risk they would rather not take.
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