The world’s biggest T20 league the IPL (Indian Premier League) could enforce two-year bans on English players under new plans.
If players are purchased in the auction or retained by their IPL side and then pull out before the 2025 competition, they will be barred from competing in the Indian domestic league for two years.
England foursome Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, David Willey and Harry Brook pulled out of the 2024 edition having signed with one of the 10 franchises.
England Test captain Ben Stokes withdrew from this year’s edition in 2023 but there is set to be leeway for an “injury or medical condition”.
The change is part of a new bill of rules that will help govern the IPL between 2025 and 2027.
“Any [overseas] player who registers for [an] auction and, after getting picked at the auction, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season will get banned from participating in the IPL/IPL auction for two seasons,” the document sent to IPL franchises read.
“[Except for] an injury/medical condition, which will have to be confirmed by the [player’s] home board”.
IPL rule changes
Other rules include: an increase to the auction purse by INR 20 crore to INR 120 crore (£10.7m); the allowance for each franchise to retain six players; an extended grace period to replace an injured player and changes to what constitutes an uncapped player.
From the 2025 IPL Indians who have not been capped for five years will be classed as uncapped, including former national captain MS Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings.
Earlier this year Australian bowlers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins overtook England’s Sam Curran as the IPL’s most expensive players.
Starc was flogged for £2.34m (24.75 crore rupees) to Kolkata Knight Riders while Cummins’s value hit £2m courtesy of Sunrisers Hyderabad.