New Delhi, May 16 -- The IPL resumes on Saturday following a break forced by conflict between India and Pakistan but a number of foreign players are unavailable as they have to return to national duty. The BCCI on Wednesday allowed temporary replacements for the remainder of the event to allow franchises to fill up the vacant spots. These players, however, will not be eligible for retention before the next edition. They will have to register afresh for IPL 2026 auction. The tournament will restart on Saturday with the match between RCB and KKR in Bengaluru with the final set for June 3. The new dates clash with international fixtures such as the World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa and the West Indies tour of England approaching. "Given the non-availability of certain foreigners due to national commitments or personal reasons or any injury or illness, Temporary Replacement Players will be allowed until the conclusion of this tournament," IPL informed the franchises in a memo. It clarified that replacement players who joined teams before the league was suspended would be eligible for retention ahead of the next season. Four signings - Sediqullah Atal (DC), Mayank Agarwal (RCB), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (RR) and Nandre Burger (RR) - were made two days before IPL's nine-day hiatus, after the DC-PBKS game in Dharamsala on May 8 was abandoned midway amid the conflict at the India-Pakistan border. Beyond the fixture clash overseas players are facing, there is also an overlap for India as the selectors are tasked with selecting the India A squad that will tour England in the build-up to the five-match Test series starting at Leeds on June 20. While most overseas players will return, some have safety concerns while the others are prioritising national duty over IPL. England pacer Jamie Overton of CSK and Australia batter Jake Fraser-McGurk of DC have decided to miss the final stages of the tournament. SA's Quinton de Kock and Aussie Spencer Johnson are set to rejoin KKR in Bengaluru on Thursday, two days ahead of their must-win fixture against RCB. DC have signed up Bangladesh left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman as replacement for McGurk, but he has not received the no-objection certificate (NOC) from his home board. Bangladesh are scheduled to play UAE in a two-match T20I series between May 17-19. While Aussie spearhead Mitchell Starc is unlikely to return to DC, the team is also waiting on the availability of South African pair Faf du Plessis and Tristan Stubbs. Stubbs is part of the squad for the WTC final, starting at Lord's on June 11. SA left-arm pacer Marco Jansen (PBKS), also in the Proteas squad, though has also confirmed his return. While Cricket Australia announced that it would support the decisions of all players, South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has said he expects his players to link up with the national side on May 26, the day after the original date of the IPL final. As a result, SA players will not feature in the playoffs should their teams qualify. Although Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are out of reckoning, skipper Pat Cummins and his Aussie teammate Travis Head were among the first to confirm their return. England's Jos Buttler will also be back with Gujarat Titans. The remaining 13 league games will be played in six venues - Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bengaluru. However, the venues for the playoffs are yet to be announced. Qualifier 1 will be held on May 29. The Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will be played on May 30 and June 1 respectively with the final on June 3....