New Delhi, May 15 -- The Indian Premier League 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 Indian cricket board on Wednesday allowed temporary replacements for the remainder of the tournament 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 the IPL 2026 auction. The tournament will restart on Saturday with the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders 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 foreign players 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 told 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. Beyond the fixture clash overseas players are facing, there is also an overlap for India as the national selectors are tasked with selecting the India A squad that will tour England in the build-up to the five-match Test series starting 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 Chennai Super Kings and Australia batter Jake Fraser-McGurk of DC have decided to miss the final stages. South Africa's Quinton de Kock and Aussie Spencer Johnson are set to re-join 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-May 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. South Africa 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, South Africa 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 team-mate Travis Head were among the first to confirm their return. England's Jos Buttler will also be back with Gujarat Titans....