While attempts are on to conclude the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, preparations for the following season have already begun behind the doors. At a recent meeting in Delhi, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and IPL executives discussed the league’s plans.
The BCCI has begun talks over the rules for retaining players in the forthcoming IPL mega auction in 2022. They had also announced that the 15th season of the tournament would include two new franchises.
The BCCI has commissioned legal work on the tender document for the sale of new franchises. It is expected to be completed shortly. The two new teams have not yet been chosen. However, there have been several indications that Ahmedabad is one of the front-runners for a spot.
It was claimed a few weeks ago that franchises would be permitted to retain three Indians and one international player, or two Indians and two overseas players. However, concerns have been raised that it would be unjust to the two new sides. They won’t have exposure to the highest-level players.
BCCI is expected to enable franchisees to retain players. Although it hasn’t been finalized, the eight IPL franchises are expected to be permitted to retain up to three players. Franchises were able to employ the Right-to-Match (RTM) card in prior auctions. It allowed them to match the auction price of the players. It will be fascinating to observe how that characteristic develops if it occurs at all this year.
IPL 2021 to resume on September 19th in UAE
The second leg of the IPL 2021 will begin on September 19th in the United Arab Emirates. The grand finale will be held on October 15th, two days before the T20 World Cup 2021.
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, two of the best IPL sides, will raise the curtain for the resumption of the tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
