Leg and off: Should retired players be allowed to be retained as "uncapped" in IPL?
At the meeting between Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last month, a discussion was held over whether a cricketer who has been retired for five years can be considered an 'uncapped' player for retentions as well as for the IPL auctions. Since then, the question has become a matter of big debate.
Interestingly, there was a rule in place starting with the first IPL edition itself in 2008 wherein players who had retired from international cricket for at least five years would be considered at par with uncapped players. The rule was, however, never utilized, which led to it being done away with in 2021.
With the mega auction scheduled to be held ahead of the IPL 2025 season, though, fans are wondering how someone like MS Dhoni can be retained by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) if the BCCI allows only four retentions per franchise - the same restriction that existed ahead of the previous mega auction. As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, more than one franchise objected to the idea of retired international cricketers being considered as uncapped players.
The uncapped tag should not be an issue if retired players are okay with it
Whether or not a player who retired from international cricket for at least five years should be considered at par with an uncapped cricketer is a rather tricky question. The simplest answer to this query is that it all depends on the players.
If a former international cricketer is okay with being considered an uncapped player so that he can be retained by his existing franchise or has a better chance of getting picked at the IPL auction, then he must be allowed the liberty to do so. On the other hand, if a player retired from international cricket for five or more years and wants to be considered a capped player, he should be allowed to place his name in that particular category.
As mentioned above, this is a very tricky pitch for the players, the franchises, and the organizers. Hence, it will be important to have some flexibility when it comes to the retired players rule in the IPL. If the BCCI maintains a rigid stance on this issue, there are chances that players might end up getting frustrated. However, if they place the ball in the players' court, the cricketers would feel empowered.
Voices against retired players being considered uncapped in the IPL
As mentioned earlier, some IPL franchise owners are reportedly against the move of retired international players being considered uncapped. As per an ESPNcricinfo report, SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) owner Kavya Maran is understood to have said that allowing a retired international player to be retained as an uncapped player would be 'disrespecting' the individual as his value could be a lot more at an auction.
According to her, it would also set a 'wrong precedent' if an uncapped player ends up getting paid more than a former international cricketer (in the uncapped category). The report added that another IPL franchise representative also expressed reservations over the idea of retired players being considered uncapped irrespective of how many years back a player retired from international cricket.
Player perspective: R Ashwin shares his thoughts
Senior Team India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been very vocal about his views on various crucial matters related to cricket and the rules of the sport. He recently shared his views on whether a player who has retired at least five years back should be considered an uncapped player when it comes to the IPL.
"Will Dhoni play as an uncapped player? That's a big question mark. The point is correct. He hasn't played international cricket for many years. He has retired. So, he is an uncapped player. He is not a capped player," Ashwin said on his official YouTube channel.
"Can a player like Dhoni play as an uncapped player? That is another conversation. Obviously, if someone talks about Dhoni, everyone will talk about it," he added.
There is no right answer to the query of whether a retired player should be considered uncapped. It all depends on which side of the fence one is on. At the end of the day, the ball remains in BCCI's court.