Key facts
- The BCCI will not mediate player availability issues for the Indian Premier League.
- Franchises must resolve player availability concerns directly with players and their national boards.
- The BCCI has a ban for foreign recruits who withdraw after being auctioned, unless injured.
- The board plans to gradually increase the IPL auction purse.
- The IPL is considering an early March start post-2027 to accommodate a larger number of games.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has stated it will not act as an intermediary between overseas players and their Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises regarding player availability. This decision comes amid ongoing concerns from franchises about players withdrawing due to injuries or national duty commitments. The BCCI maintains that the responsibility for managing player availability lies with the franchises and the players themselves, citing existing rules that penalize players who withdraw after being auctioned, unless due to injury. Players like Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc were unavailable for the initial part of the recent IPL season, impacting teams like Delhi Capitals. Rajasthan Royals' coach Kumar Sangakkara expressed frustration over Sam Curran playing domestic T20 cricket after citing injury for his IPL absence. Punjab Kings co-owner Mohit Burman suggested better alignment between cricket boards on foreign player availability. However, a BCCI source indicated that the board believes these issues should be resolved directly between the player and their franchise, referencing Jofra Archer's case where he made himself available for the entire tournament despite ECB workload management.
In other developments, the BCCI is considering a gradual increase to the IPL's auction purse, currently at 125 crore rupees, rather than a significant jump. The board also plans to potentially start the IPL in early March from the 2028 season onwards to accommodate an increase in the number of games from 74 to 94. This shift would require a larger window, with the first week of March to mid-May seen as the most feasible period, considering monsoon patterns and viewer fatigue from frequent ICC events.