IPL 2021: "Not sure if I'll be the only one" - Andrew Tye reveals why he left RR

Andrew Tye left the IPL on Sunday

Andrew Tye has opened up on the reasons which prompted him to leave IPL 2021 midway. The Australian pacer cited bubble fatigue and concerns over India’s growing COVID-19 numbers as the causes behind his impromptu withdrawal. Tye also disclosed that several other players have contacted him since he left the competition.

The Rajasthan Royals announced on Sunday that Andrew Tye has flown back to Australia due to personal reasons. The franchise reiterated their support for Tye, but stopped short of giving a reason for his sudden departure.

The 34-year-old spoke to SEN Radio from Doha, from where Andrew Tye transited to Sydney. While Andrew Tye admitted multiple factors played a role in his departure, the main one was the rise in cases being observed in Australia from India.

“There was a number of reasons, but the main one was with the situation that has started to happen back home in Perth with a lot of cases in hotel quarantine coming out of India. Now there's been a community case in Perth governments are trying to restrict numbers coming back in, especially in Western Australia. There are definitely concerns (from the Australians). A lot of guys have been in touch today once they realised I was leaving. Some of the guys are very interested in what route I took home and other guys are just happy to make sure I'm okay. Not sure if I'll be the only one,” explained Tye.

AJ Tye flew back to Australia earlier today due to personal reasons. We will continue to offer any support he may need.#RoyalsFamily

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) April 25, 2021

The worsening COVID-19 situation in India has seen the Australian government impose several curbs on travel from the region. The government has reduced flights from India by 30%, with more restrictions expected to be announced soon.

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While Andrew Tye admitted COVID-19 concerns were the main reason behind his departure, the Australian conceded bubble fatigue played a role too.

"I just thought to try and get on the front foot and get home before I got locked out of the country. It's been a long time in bubbles and hubs - doing the calculations earlier, I think I've had 11 days at home out of the bubble since August, so for me, I just wanted to get home,” Tye said.

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Andrew Tye admits playing cricket in such times was tough

Official Announcment:Adam Zampa & Kane Richardson are returning to Australia for personal reasons and will be unavailable for the remainder of #IPL2021. Royal Challengers Bangalore management respects their decision and offers them complete support.#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers pic.twitter.com/NfzIOW5Pwl

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) April 26, 2021

Ravichandran Ashwin recently announced his departure from the competition, stating his desire to support his family as they put up a fight against COVID-19. Many have criticised the IPL for going ahead while India grapples with the virus, and Andrew Tye admitted the situation outside impacted him.

"They are having over 300,000 cases a day and they are only the ones being reported, we know there's probably a lot more than that number who can't get tested. Yes, the IPL and BCCI have done an amazing job of keeping us safe but at the same time it's tough and you also feel bad for the amount of people out there with Covid and we are still able to play cricket,” Tye conceded.

Andrew Tye’s comments came just hours before the Royal Challengers Bangalore announced the departure of Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson. The duo exited the competition and left for Australia due to personal reasons, with media reports speculating that concerns similar to those of Tye prompted them to take the call.