Sunrisers Hyderabad CEO Kavya Maran has called for a ban on overseas players who withdraw from the IPL despite having secured a contract.
On Wednesday, July 31, the BCCI convened a meeting with IPL franchise owners to discuss potential changes to the league's rules and regulations. Key topics included player retention rules, the right to match (RTM) options, and the frequency of the league's mega auction, which currently occurs every three years.
One significant topic was the issue of foreign players who, despite being signed, do not participate in the tournament. While some withdrawals are due to injuries, franchises have been dissatisfied with other reasons given for such absences.
Maran expressed her frustration, stating that foreign players who withdraw for reasons other than injury should be banned from the league. "After being selected in the auction, if a player doesn't come to play the season for any reason apart from injury, he should be banned," she said. "Franchises invest considerable effort in the auction to build their teams, and a player's withdrawal affects the team's balance and combination."
During IPL 2024, Sunrisers Hyderabad were particularly displeased with all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga's withdrawal. Although Hasaranga cited an injury, SRH believed the primary reason was his lower IPL salary compared to his previous earnings with RCB.
Maran also proposed changes to the retention and RTM rules. She suggested that each team should be allowed a minimum of seven retention/RTM options, with the distribution between retentions and RTMs left to the discretion of the franchises. Additionally, she advocated for removing the cap on the number of foreign players a team can retain, arguing that this would allow teams with a strong foreign contingent, like SRH, to maintain their core players.
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