In a recent development, the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have proposed a two-year ban on overseas players who pull out of the tournament without valid reasons after being bought at the auction.

This proposal aims to address recurring problems faced by the teams due to unexpected player withdrawals at the last moment. In such cases, the franchises are forced to find replacements from a significantly smaller pool of talent, which ultimately impact their performance.

According to a report published in ESPNcricinfo, all 10 IPL franchises unanimously agreed on the need for stricter regulations.

The owners highlighted the detrimental impact of last-minute pullouts on team performance, pointing out that strategies are often built keeping the availability of overseas players in mind.

However, the franchises clarified that they are not opposed to withdrawals if they are for legitimate reasons such as international commitments, injuries, or pressing family matters.

They expressed frustration with instances when players withdraw without any of these valid reasons after being signed at their base price.

Moreover, the franchises raised concerns about prominent overseas players skipping mega auctions over the past cycles (2018-24) but register their names for mini auctions to attract higher bids.

The mini-auction held in last December saw the Australian duo of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins fetching huge amounts. While Kolkata Knight Riders shelled out a whopping Rs 24.75 Crore to secure the services of Starc, Sunrisers Hyderabad roped in Cummins for a hefty sum of Rs 20.50 Crore.

This disparity has led the franchises to demand that all prominent overseas players must register for the mega auctions. If unsold, they can then throw their hats in the mini-auction the following season.

(With ESPNcricinfo Inputs)