PAK vs AUS ODI series 2026: Will Australia players miss IPL 2026 playoffs for Pakistan tour?

KEY TAKEAWAYS: Australia will tour Pakistan for a three-match ODI series starting May 30. Several key players may be unavailable due to IPL commitments and rest rotation. It will be Australia's first ODI tour of Pakistan since 2022.

PAK vs AUS 2026: Australia head to Pakistan for first ODI series in four years Australia are heading back to Pakistan for a 50-over series for the first time since 2022, with the Pakistan Cricket Board confirming the tour on Thursday. That previous visit, four years ago, ended in a 2-1 series victory for the hosts. Earlier this year, Australia also toured Pakistan for a three-match T20I assignment, where they were swept 3-0 in Lahore.

The touring party is scheduled to land in Islamabad on May 23, with the first of three ODIs set for Rawalpindi on May 30. The final two matches move to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on June 2 and June 4, with all three games beginning at 4:30 pm local time. MORE: IND vs AUS: Australia’s Men, Women, U19 teams to visit India before 2027 BGT Will Australia players play IPL 2026 playoffs?

The opening ODI falls a day before the IPL 2026 final at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, meaning players whose franchises reach the playoff stage will almost certainly not be available at the start of the tour. Players who might be eliminated earlier in the competition, among them ODI captain Mitchell Marsh (Delhi Capitals), wicketkeeper Josh Inglis (Lucknow Super Giants), and Cameron Green (Kolkata Knight Riders), could realistically make it to Rawalpindi in time for the first match. MORE: CA offers Cummins mega contract to fend off franchise cricket's $10 million lure Which Australian players are likely to miss out on the Pakistan tour?