The three Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises- Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals- who have sister franchises in the upcoming UAE T20 League, will be extended the opportunity to sign the players they have contracted for IPL, for this T20 league as well.
Cricbuzz reports that Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals can sign up to four players each from their existing IPL rosters. As an IPL franchise official puts it, they will have the first right to sign their players.
Specifically, the six-team league, promoted and operated by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), permits Knight Riders to sign players like Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, or any other player from its current or previous line-up so that they can preserve their identity.
In the same vein, MI can sign the likes of Kieron Pollard, Tim David, or even Jofra Archer if they wish. And the same for Delhi Capitals as well.
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"Each franchise will be allowed to sign four players of their choice outside of the draft or auction which we will decide later. It could be any player who has a NOC from his home board," Mubashir Usmani, the secretary-general of the ECB told Cricbuzz.
The ECB has not yet decided to have an auction or a draft; the chances of going with the second option are likely so that the inevitable comparisons with the IPL can be averted.
The other three franchises, owned by the Adani Group, the Glazer family, and Capri Global - virtually debutant investors in the cricket leagues - may also have the same choice so that a level playing field is being ensured.
All teams will be allowed a player fee of USD 2 million, the purse being second-best among the franchise-based leagues after the IPL.
The UAE T20 League is tentatively planned between early January and mid-February in 2023, which may clash with South Africa’s league that is supposed to be launched in January. Keeping that in mind, the CSA has reportedly requested the Cricket Australia (CA) to defer three ODIs between the sides on January 12, 14, and 17.
The ECB officials are planning to have talks with the CSA to avoid a total overlap. Invited by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), a few ECB officials, including its vice-chairman Khalid Al Zarooni, were in Ahmedabad for the IPL final on Sunday.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
