BCCI won’t increase purse of IPL teams:Board refuses to intervene on unavailability of foreign players; league might start in early March after 2027

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made it clear that it does not intend to act as a mediator between overseas cricketers and their national teams regarding player availability for the Indian Premier League (IPL). The issue once again came into focus during the recently concluded IPL season, where several franchises were affected by the absence of key foreign players. While the IPL remains one of the biggest T20 leagues in the world, managing overseas player participation throughout the two-month tournament continues to be a challenge. Injuries, workload management, and international commitments often impact player availability, leaving franchises frustrated. At the same time, the BCCI is also looking ahead to the future of the tournament. Discussions are underway regarding an increase in the number of matches from 74 to 94 starting from the 2028 season, which could significantly alter the tournament calendar. The discussion on the future of bilateral series are also underway. BCCI leaves availability matters to franchises and players Several teams faced issues this season due to the absence of foreign stars. Players such as Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc missed parts of the tournament because of injury concerns. Delhi Capitals, in particular, felt the impact of Starc’s unavailability during the first half of the season. Rajasthan Royals head coach Kumar Sangakkara had publicly questioned Sam Curran’s decision to skip the IPL due to injury but later play T20 cricket in England. Punjab Kings co-owner Mohit Burman also suggested that the BCCI and other cricket boards should work together more closely on player availability. However, the BCCI believes the matter should be handled directly between franchises and players. Earlier, similarly, Ben Duckett’s last-minute exit from IPL cost him a two-season ban from BCCI for the IPL 2027 and 2028 seasons. According to the report of PTI, a BCCI source said, “The team are the custodians of the players. We leave it to them and their understanding with the players. Some players decide IPL over national duty and some vice versa. Our rules are clear unless there is an injury (the two-year ban).” Referring to England pacer Jofra Archer, the source added: “Archer plays for the Royals and he made himself available for the entire tournament despite the ECB wanting to manage his workload. As far as Curran is concerned, the franchise would know what to do for next season.” No immediate plan for a massive auction purse increase The IPL auction purse currently stands at ₹125 crore. While player salaries continue to rise, the BCCI is not considering a dramatic increase in the salary cap. According to the board, player earnings already include match fees and sponsorship opportunities beyond their franchise contracts. The BCCI source said: “Definitely we can explore an increase but we need to see holistically. A lot of players draw a whopping amount for one season and nowhere to be seen the next season. Also a lot of the players are paid over and above their contract by some franchises. The players get match fees also (Rs 7.5 lakh per game) and get additional sponsorship during the tournament,” IPL could shift to an earlier window from 2028 With plans to increase the number of matches to 94 from the 2028 season, the BCCI is exploring a longer tournament window. The current schedule may not be sufficient because of weather concerns, particularly the arrival of the monsoon after May. As a result, the board feels that starting the IPL in early March and ending it by mid-May could be the ideal solution. “We can’t play 94 games in the current window as the monsoon starts after May. Either we split into two halves or we do it from March first week and have it till May 15. That would be the best window when 94 matches are played. Future of bilateral cricket also under discussion The BCCI is also assessing the long-term value of bilateral international series as domestic leagues continue to grow across the cricketing world. The board believes that broadcasters are showing reduced interest in certain bilateral contests and that cricket may eventually move closer to the football model, where franchise competitions dominate the calendar. “We also need to see the feasibility of bilateral series going forward. Every country has their own league, they are not entirely dependent on hosting the India series. So, we need to see the feasibility of bilaterals going forward. The broadcaster is already not seeing value in some of the bilateral series being played. If cricket has to go the soccer way, all boards need to buy into it.” The source also warned about the growing concern of fan fatigue, adding: “The viewer fatigue has to be kept in mind too. The world looks forward to the football World Cup as it comes after every four years. We are having ICC events every year.”