Ahead of the upcoming 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, numerous leading players from various franchises are awaiting their NCA clearance, which is considered as a mandate for participating in the IPL. Well, in case you’re still wondering, NCA (National Cricket Academy) clearance is an approval given to the players after they fully recover from their past injuries and are considered to be entirely fit to play professional cricket matches.
From Jasprit Bumrah to Avesh Khan, numerous seasoned IPL players are awaiting a green signal from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) before they can officially join their IPL teams for the upcoming 2025 edition.
In this article we will take a look at the top four players who are waiting for clearance from the NCA ahead of the IPL 2025 edition.
IPL 2025: Top 4 Players Awaiting NCA Clearance
Jasprit Bumrah
India’s annihilating pace bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, has been entirely out of action since he suffered a major back injury during the first innings of the Sydney Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year in January. Following his injury, Bumrah is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
Keeping in mind his current physical condition, Bumrah might have to miss a few matches of the upcoming 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) starting on 22 March 2025. In Bumrah’s heart-wrenching absence, the Mumbai Indians (MI) might have to rely on other bowlers, including Naman Dhir and Trent Boult.
Avesh Khan
At the second spot in our list of the top four players who are waiting for clearance from the NCA ahead of the IPL 2025 edition, we have Lucknow SuperGiant (LSG)’s sensational bowler, Avesh Khan. The spearhead bowler, Avesh Khan, is currently recovering from a knee cartilage injury and has been keeping out of competitive cricket since January 2025.
Right after completing the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 season for Madhya Pradesh, Avesh Khan was sent to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for treatment, where he received specialized medical attention, including injections to fasten his recovery. Well, keeping in mind his current recovery status, Avesh Khan might take some more time to make a comeback in the upcoming IPL 2025 season.
Mayank Yadav
Another annihilating bowler from the Lucknow SuperGiants (LSG) franchise, Mayank Yadav, is at the third spot in our list of the top four players who are waiting for a clearance from the NCA ahead of the IPL 2025 edition. According to recent reports, Mayank Yadav is recovering from a lumbar stress injury at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru which he suffered during the T20I series against Bangladesh last October.
Although Yadav has resumed bowling, it might still take a few more weeks for him to receive his NCA clearance, which is considered mandatory for any cricketer to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL). As per the current reports, there are high chances of Mayank Yadav missing the first half of the IPL 2025 season.
Sanju Samson
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four players who are currently waiting for NCA clearance to participate in the upcoming IPL 2025 edition, we have Sanju Samson, who was acquired by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise for a whopping INR 18 crore. Well, Sanju Samson suffered a brutal fracture in his right index finger during the home T20 series against England in February 2025 and had to undergo immediate surgery.
As per the current reports, Sanju Samson passed the fitness test for his batting, but in order to receive an NCA clearance, he will also be required to pass his fitness tests on wicket-keeping, which currently seems a far-fetched deal for the gloveman of the Rajasthan Royals franchise putting him in a hard spot for the upcoming IPL 2025 season.
