IPL 2021: Franchisees left in a state of uncertainty as deadline for squad submission nears
The remainder of the 2021 edition of the IPL will take place from September 19 in the UAE. BCCI has set a deadline of August 20 for franchisees to announce their squads for the event. With most international cricket boards opting to leave the prospect of participation up to the players, the franchisees are unlikely to submit their squads in time, which brings a possible extension of the deadline into the equation.
The cricketing boards of New Zealand, England and Australia have already cleared their stance of the prospect of their players competing in the IPL. The franchises are reportedly waiting for the players to make their decision, and an official from an IPL franchise confirmed that they are in talks with their overseas players. Speaking to Inside Sport, the official said:
“We have to submit the squad by August 20 but I can’t confirm whether all foreign players will be available. We are still in talks with some players. The good thing is that the T20 World Cup will be held in UAE and that gives us confidence that all players will be available but we are still waiting on some players’ final confirmation,”
IPL 2021 will kick-start a long spell away from home for English players
The involvement of English players such as Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes for the IPL is yet to be known as they will be involved in overseas assignments until February. Following the culmination of the IPL, they will be subjected to the T20 World Cup at the same location. They also have to travel to Australia for the Ashes to conclude the year and finish the overseas phase with a long tour of the West Indies.
The delay in BCCI's talks with CA and the ECB has also been cited as a problem by an official of another franchise. IPL franchisees were only made aware of the availability of overseas players last week. The drawn-out period had left the franchises in a state of frenzy over having to find replacement players or wait for BCCI's approval. The official said:
“Yes, BCCI’s delay in responding officially did play a part in last-minute hassle. We kept hearing about players’ availability in the news but BCCI only confirmed that officially in August. That’s why the August 20 deadline is a little early for us. But if that’s the norm, we will adhere to that,”
Currently, Chennai Super Kings marks as the only franchise with a full squad. The three-time champions and Mumbai Indians are the two franchises that have reached the UAE to prepare for the second leg of the IPL as the other franchises are yet to confirm their travel plans.