Jason Roy reveals the shocking reason he pulled out of IPL 2024

England cricketer Jason Roy recently opened up about his decision to withdraw from the ongoing IPL 2024. Roy said that he prioritized his mental and physical well-being, and that’s 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 delivered a stunning performance with the bat by scoring 285 runs at a strike rate of 151.59.

Given his impressive batting show in the last season, KKR retained the England opener for the ongoing IPL 2024, but he 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 across 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 Durban's Super Giants before playing two ILT20 games 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 it was coinciding with the start of the ongoing IPL 2024. Then there were some other personal reasons not to travel to India for the cash-rich T20 league, especially his health.

Meanwhile, the England opener appreciated KKR's trust in him and expressed 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 was feeling fatigued from being involved too much in the game.

A lot of thought has gone into it: Jason Roy

Jason Roy said on the podcast: “I basically said to myself, I'm just going to listen to my head, listen to my heart and figure it out from there on in. That was a huge learning curve for me, to be able to make decisions like I have this year, you know, and it can look a certain way. But it's nothing to do with anyone else, it's absolutely nothing to do with anyone else.”

He signed off by saying, “It's your decision - I've got a young family; I'm a grown man and I've made the decision off the back of a lot of thoughts. I've not just woken up one morning and thought, 'You know what - I actually don't feel like getting on that flight to India'. A lot of thought has gone into it, and yeah, it's become far easier to talk about and a far easier decision, just because you know, especially from past experiences, what that can do to you.”

Notably, Roy was later replaced by England and Lancashire batter Phil Salt in the KKR squad. KKR is presently in great form in the ongoing IPL 2024, having won three of their four matches so far.