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Change overseas players' limit to 5: BCCI official suggests changes for 10-team IPL 2021

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Nov 13, 2020, 03:24 PM IST
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to roll out a tender for two more teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after Diwali. The franchises have raised a few questions related to next players’ auction with some worried about the quality of squads if 10 teams will play IPL 2021 in place of usual 8 teams. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is likely to roll out a tender for two more teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after Diwali. The franchises have raised a few questions related to next players’ auction with some worried about the quality of squads if 10 teams will play IPL 2021 in place of usual 8 teams. 

Many franchises have struggled to maintain quality in the squad given that only four overseas players can be named in the playing XI while having a total of 8 overseas players in the roster. According to reports, the cause of concerns for franchises is that the quality of the pool of Indian players would decrease massively if 10 teams are playing in IPL 2021. 

"Teams are already finding it difficult to ensure quality. If we look at most IPL squads, around seven to nine players form the core while two to three players per squad are rotated to find the right balance. Now, if eight franchises are increased to 10, that quality further gets diluted. IPL's core - the very essence of having a salary purse every year - is to ensure the overall quality of all eight franchises remains somewhere at the same level, regardless of an individual franchise's spending capacity. If two extra teams draw from the same pool of cricketers at the auction, can the quality be guaranteed," existing franchises asked as per the Times of India.

A top BCCI official has suggested that the participating overseas players per playing XI should be increased to 5 from 4 as the official said it could solve the problem of quality.

"There are quality overseas players who are warming the bench every season because of the restriction. An added overseas player will balance out that need," the official is said to have suggested.

With IPL being known as a platform where talent meets opportunity, and a stage where lesser-known Indian domestic talents are unearthed, it is going to be interesting to see whether the BCCI and IPL Governing Council approves or even discuss such proposals.