BCCI's meeting with IPL franchise owners: 3 key takeaways
The much-awaited meeting between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners took place at the BCCI headquarters at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday, July 31. Discussions regarding crucial matters about the T20 league like mega auctions, retentions, and the Impact Player rule were held at the meeting.
Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) Shah Rukh Khan, SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) Kavya Maran, Punjab Kings' (PBKS) Ness Wadia, Delhi Capitals' (DC) Parth Jindal, Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) Sanjiv Goenka and Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) Rupa Gurunath were among the owners present at the meeting. The Ambanis of Mumbai Indians (MI) joined the meeting via video conference.
Following the conclusion of the meeting, the BCCI released a statement and said (as quoted by Cricbuzz):
"The franchise owners tabled feedback on player regulations and other commercial aspects, including central merchandising, licensing, and gaming. The BCCI will now take these recommendations to the IPL Governing Council for further deliberation and evaluation before formulating the IPL player regulations."
On that note, let's take a look at three key takeaways from the meeting between the BCCI and IPL franchise owners.
#1 No consensus over mega auction among IPL franchise owners
As per IPL rules, a mega auction is set to take place ahead of the 2025 edition. As per the existing system, a big auction is held every four years, while there are mini-auctions in the other years. However, at the meeting between the BCCI and IPL franchise owners, a few representatives of teams spoke against mega auctions.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh and SunRisers Hyderabad's co-owner Kavya batted for the mega auction to be scrapped altogether. It may be noted that KKR won IPL 2024, while SRH were finalists in the same edition. If a mega auction takes place, each franchise can retain only a limited number of players - the current cap is four.
On the other hand, DC's Jindal backed the concept of a mega auction. He expressed surprise over some owners wanting the mega auction to be abandoned completely. Sharing his views on the debate, he commented:
"I feel that it [mega auction] evens the playing field and it's very good for everyone. It makes the IPL what it is. It makes it competitive. It makes it an even playing field."
Delhi Capitals have made it to the IPL final only once in 2020. They finished runners-up, going down to Mumbai Indians in the final.
#2 Should retired cricketers be part of the uncapped category?
As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, a discussion was also held over whether a cricketer who has been retired for five years should be considered at par with an uncapped player at the auctions. Such a rule existed from the inaugural edition in 2008. However, it was never utilized and was done away with in 2021.
The report stated that when the suggestion over the rule being brought back was put forward during the meeting, some franchises objected. Reportedly, SRH owner Kavya stated that allowing a retired player to be retained as an uncapped cricketer would be "disrespecting" the individual and set a wrong precedent.
On the other hand, though, franchises agreed that Indian players who had not played international cricket for five years must be allowed to lower their base. At present, ₹50 lakh is the lowest base price for capped India players.
#3 IPL franchises want a ban on overseas players who pull out without legitimate reason
Another report in ESPNcricinfo claimed that IPL franchises have recommended a two-year ban on overseas cricketers if they pull out for unsatisfactory reasons after being bought at the auction. The franchises are also said to have told the BCCI to make it obligatory for overseas cricketers to register for the mega auction and not just be part of mini-auctions.
The report added that almost all franchises have agreed on the above two points at the crucial meeting. Several players withdrew from IPL 2024 citing varied reasons. Jason Roy pulled out for personal reasons, while Harry Brook opted out due to the death of his grandmother.
Further, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) pulled out Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson to manage the fast bowlers' workload. The ECB also withdrew their players from IPL 2024 ahead of the playoffs citing international commitments.