“These decisions are never straightforward” says Jonny Bairstow as Yorkshire CCC skipper leaves for IPL

The knockouts were put back after political tensions between India and Pakistan led to a brief cessation of the competition, which resumed at the weekend amid heightened security.

Bairstow, 35, will replace Will Jacks, who is heading home after Mumbai’s final group game against Punjab Kings in Jaipur on Monday to link up with the England squad for the white-ball games against West Indies.

Mumbai occupy the fourth and final qualifying position and face a crunch match on Wednesday at home to Delhi Capitals, who are one place and one point behind them as the battle intensifies to reach the knockouts that run from May 29 to June 3.

Bairstow, who has joined Mumbai at a price of 5.25 crore Indian rupees (£458,000), leaves with Yorkshire second-bottom of the Championship First Division after the club fell to its third defeat in six games against Surrey at the Oval on Monday.

“These decisions are never straightforward - especially given how much I've enjoyed leading Yorkshire this year," said Bairstow in a statement on social media.

“I'm incredibly grateful to the club for understanding, continued support and look forward to getting stuck back in on my return.

“This is a fantastic opportunity, and I'm excited to contribute to MI's campaign. Can't wait to get started and experience the energy of Mumbai.”

Gavin Hamilton, the Yorkshire general manager of cricket, suggested that the opportunity for Bairstow was too good to turn down.

Bairstow was appointed skipper at the start of the season after Jonny Tattersall led the club to promotion last summer.

“Whilst it is naturally disappointing to lose Jonny for the next few weeks, the opportunity for him to play in the final stages of the IPL at this stage in his career is huge,” said Hamilton.

“Jonny has been open with us around his desire to play in the IPL from our very first conversation with him, and we’d like to wish him the best of luck in the coming weeks.

“We look forward to welcoming him back for the early stages of our Vitality Blast campaign.”

It is unclear who will replace Bairstow as captain for the visit of league leaders Nottinghamshire, with Tattersall having suffered an injury to his left wrist during the match against Surrey.

Tattersall, who led Yorkshire to four wins in six games in the second half of last season, is also the natural replacement behind the stumps, meaning that the door could potentially open for Harry Duke, the 23-year-old whose last Championship appearance for Yorkshire was in September 2022 (Duke played two Championship matches on loan for Essex early last season).

Other captaincy options would be Dawid Malan, the club’s new white-ball skipper, who hopes to be fit after missing the last three games with a groin injury, batsman Adam Lyth and spinner Dom Bess.

Yorkshire are down to the bare bones personnel-wise with both of their overseas pace bowlers injured.

Ben Sears, the New Zealander, has returned home after foot problems restricted him to two appearances that yielded seven wickets, while Jordan Buckingham, the Australian, has a hip flexor issue.

Buckingham has also been restricted to two appearances and had a particularly torrid time of things, returning combined figures of 26-1-171-2 with 14 no-balls.

Another problem had surfaced following Will O’Rourke’s call-up as a replacement player by the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants.

The New Zealand fast bowler, who has been signed by Yorkshire for the first eight games of the T20 Blast, was recruited by Lucknow after Mayank Yadav, the India pace bowler, was ruled out with a back injury.

Lucknow’s play-off hopes are now over, however, following defeat on Monday to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Their final group game takes place on Tuesday, with Yorkshire’s first T20 taking place three days later against Northamptonshire at Headingley.