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Australian explosive opener Travis Head has clarified his stance on franchise cricket, expressing a clear focus on representing his national team and maintaining a balanced schedule. Head emphasized that apart from playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he has no intention of participating in other franchise leagues.
Travis Head: “IPL is the only franchise league I’ll play”
Head stated that he will not participate in franchise cricket outside of the IPL and Big Bash League. He emphasized prioritizing rest and Test cricket, acknowledging the difficulty of balancing multiple tournaments like Major League Cricket (MLC) or The Hundred. Head values the opportunity to rest during the current tour and remains focused on contributing to Test cricket as his top priority.
“I won’t play franchise cricket other than IPL. Big Bash will be the third team I play for, so I won’t play anything other than that at this stage, and I think that gives me the opportunity to have that time off. It’s pretty hard to have those eight days off and then play MLC in a couple of months’ time or the Hundred. So I understand that and I’m very lucky to have those seven days off on this tour and Test cricket’s the most important thing at the moment for us as a group. So I want to put as much effort as I can into that,” Head said to the reporters ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka.
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Head’s IPL success and contributions in various franchise
Head showcased his batting prowess in the IPL while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). In the last edition, he delivered a stellar performance, amassing 567 runs in 15 matches. His campaign included four half-centuries and a century, earning him the title of the fourth-highest run-scorer of the tournament.
Head also represents the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League, though scheduling conflicts prevented him from playing in BBL|14. The overlap with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, where Head excelled as Australia’s leading run-scorer with 448 runs in five matches, kept him out of the domestic T20 league. Head’s franchise success extends to Major League Cricket, where he plays for Washington Freedom. In the previous edition, he tied with teammate Steve Smith as the second-highest run-scorer, tallying 336 runs in nine matches. Despite his achievements, Head’s decision to scale back his participation reflects his desire to manage workload and focus on key commitments.
