London [UK], March 2 (ANI): Jason Roy will not feature for Surrey in the early rounds of the County Championship after withdrawing from this year's Indian Premier League.

Roy was expected to play for Gujarat Titans in the IPL having been picked up by the franchise in last month's auction. The 31-year-old will instead take a short indefinite break from the game to spend time with his family in the UK.

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Since the start of the pandemic, Jason has spent extended periods of time in heavily restrictive Covid-secure 'bubbles' around the world and away from home in order to play cricket.

There is currently no fixed date for Jason's return to cricket but he will remain in contact with the Club during this period, with staff keen to assist him where possible.

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Surrey Director of Cricket Alec Stewart said: "Everyone at Surrey is here to support Jason and fully understands his decision to step away from the game for a period of time in order to be with his family. When he is ready to return to cricket, we will be here ready to help and prepare him for his upcoming challenges in the game."

Roy said: "After more than two years living under COVID restrictions and in a number of bubbles, I feel now is the right time to be with my wife and young children. I'd like to thank all of the Surrey coaching staff for their patience and Surrey Members for their understanding. I will be following the team closely while I'm away from the game and working hard to be at my best when I do get back to the middle." (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)