Indian T20 League 2022: Star overseas player opts out of the tournament

In a major development, Jason Roy has opted out of the 2022 season of the Indian T20 League. The batter had informed the Gujarat franchise of his decision last week, citing bio bubble fatigue as the reason to not participate.

Bio bubbles can be tiring for the players, and if the batter feels the pressure of the new norms, his performance can be affected. Many players have taken time out of matches during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Gujarat Titans had purchased him for a base price of INR 2 crore in the mega auction ahead of the tournament. Many pundits of the game called this a great purchase as he can be an explosive batter at the top of the order. Now that he has opted out, Gujarat will face some challenges in building an ideal playing XI.

Gujarat has three obvious choices for the opening spot, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade. While Gill has the highest probability of filling one of the spots, Wade can be their next opener. He is a floater but can provide the quick start at the top, with Gill playing as the more conservative batter.

Jason Roy in the Indian T20 League

Jason Roy has not opted out of the tournament for the first time. He had a similar case when Delhi got him for INR 1.5 crore in 2020. As a result, he was unsold in the 2021 season but was brought in by Hyderabad as a replacement. He had a decent season with the team as he scored 150 runs in the five matches that he played.

Roy was last seen in the PSL 2022 playing for Quetta Gladiators. He played six games and scored massive 303 runs at an average of 50.5. This included a century and two half-centuries.