English cricketer Tom Banton is considering skipping the IPL 2021 to focus on domestic red-ball cricket and said that he wants to play cricket and not just warm benches.

With IPL 2021 auctions set to take place next month, all eight franchises have released their comprehensive list of released and retained players.

Being drafted into the Kolkata Knigh Rider side in 2020 for base price of 1 crore, Tom Banton was among the six players being released by Kolkata Knigh Riders ahead of the IPL 2021 auction.

Tom Banton warmed bench for majority of the tournament for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the two-month long IPL last year at UAE and played just two matches scoring only 18 runs. 

Addressing his decision the 23-year-old top-order batsman said that he wants to play cricket and not just warm benches.

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"Growing up as a kid the IPL was a tournament that I absolutely loved watching. But I feel like I'm at a stage now where I need to be playing cricket instead of sitting on the bench," Tom Banton told Sky sports. 

Banton said he has sat so much on the bench that he is now missing playing cricket.

"The last year has taught me quite a bit, obviously all these tournaments are great but a lot of them I've been sat on the sidelines and not really doing a huge amount. I miss batting and playing cricket if I'm being honest," he said. 

Banton added that he might skip the IPL to play for his county and take a step towards his Test dream.

"I feel at this point in my career it's probably best if I play a few red-ball games for Somerset and get back into that because I do miss playing red-ball cricket and my ambition is still to play Test cricket.

We'll have to wait and see. I still haven't decided yet, but I'm just going to speak to a few people and try to decide from there,” he concluded. 

(Sky Sports Inputs)