'Couldn't really offer RR the best version of myself', says Zampa on withdrawing from IPL 2024

NEW DELHI: Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa revealed he was completely drained from playing non-stop cricket in 2023, which led to him not being in the best version of himself to play for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024 and subsequently pulled out of the ongoing competition.

"There are several reasons why the IPL wasn't for me this year. I think the most important one was the fact that it's a World Cup year and I'm completely drained from 2023. I did the full IPL last year. Obviously, the World Cup was three months in India as well," said Zampa to the Willow Talk podcast.

Zampa spent time in India last year in Australia’s triumph of 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup, and stayed for half-way of T20I series in the country. Back home, he played the BBL season for Melbourne Renegades and Australia’s white-ball series against West Indies and New Zealand.

"So I had the best intentions of trying to play the IPL again this year. But once push came to shove, I felt like I just couldn't really offer the Rajasthan Royals the best version of myself and looking forward to the World Cup, that's what's more important to me, that's for sure," he added.

Zampa played six times for RR last season, taking eight wickets, and was also unsure over him getting game time in IPL 2024, especially with the side having Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin as lead spinners. He then realised it would be fine to prioritise his body and mental health, as well as spend time with his young family at home.

"It came down to my decision being I probably need to put my body and my mental health first. Then you throw a lot of other things into the equation as well, like the fact that I've got a young family. It's not easy to spend nine weeks in India in my situation where I'm fighting for my spot in the team as well.

"It's not like I can say to myself, 'well, that's alright I've got 14 games to prepare for a World Cup'. I don't know whether or not that's actually going to be two games or four games or six games. So I kind of worked out that maybe just to rest, putting my family first, putting my body first, was better for me.

"It's not an easy decision because you've always got that voice in the back of your mind going, 'pulling out of the IPL, what are people going to say? What happens the next time you want to go to the IPL? Do people kind of paint you with that brush?'. But I wasn't too fussed about it once I made that decision, I knew it was the right one," he elaborated.

Zampa will be next seen in action for Australia during the Men’s T20 World Cup happening from June 1-29 in USA and the West Indies. Australia will be aiming to hold all ICC men’s titles together after winning World Test Championship and ODI World Cup titles in 2023.