NEW DELHI: Following the recent changes in the Indian Premier League (IPL) regulations, overseas players with a history of recurring injuries like Ben Stokes need to navigate new rules carefully to avoid significant penalties in the IPL.
The IPL governing council has implemented stricter rules to discourage players from withdrawing after being auctioned.
It is now mandatory for any overseas player to register for the mega auction.Failure to do so will make them ineligible for the subsequent mini-auction.
Once a player registers and is selected, they must remain available; if they withdraw before the season starts without a valid reason—such as a confirmed injury by their home board —they will face a two-season ban from the tournament and player auctions.
Having remained unavailable for IPL in the last three seasons, Stokes, who recently faced hamstring issues while playing for the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred, is currently focused on regaining fitness for England’s upcoming Test series against Pakistan.
He has less than two weeks to recover before the first Test begins on October 7 at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Should Stokes participate in the IPL mega auction and then get injured, his fitness and availability will be assessed by the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
Should he pull out, he will need to report to the BCCI‘s medical team, or risk missing the next two seasons of IPL.
To further deter withdrawals, the IPL has capped the maximum fee for overseas players at mini-auctions. This fee will be the lowest of the highest retention price (INR 18 crore, or approximately $2.1 million) and the highest auction price from the mega auction.
This decision came after complaints from franchisees about the disruption caused by late pullouts.
Overall, overseas players need to comply with registration requirements and stay fit to ensure their participation in the IPL, thereby avoiding harsh penalties that could impact their careers.