August 2, 2024

Retired Players in Uncapped Category? IPL Mulls Retention Rule Change

Franchises are discussing whether retired Indian players should have their base price lowered in IPL auctions. This issue was raised at a meeting between the IPL and team owners about the 2025 auction retention rules. The IPL suggested that retired players who have been out of international cricket for at least five years could be treated like uncapped players. This rule was briefly in place from the IPL’s start in 2008 but was removed in 2021.

However, during the recent meeting, some franchises disagreed with this idea. For example, Kavya Maran, owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), argued that considering a retired player as uncapped would undermine their value and respect, which could be significantly higher at the auction. She said it would set a “wrong precedent” if an uncapped player were to be paid more than the former international (retained as an uncapped player). She suggested that the player in question be part of the auction, where the market would determine the price.

At least one other franchise representative also raised concerns about treating retired players as uncapped, regardless of how long they have been out of international cricket.

On Thursday, iplwin365 mistakenly reported that the suggestion to classify retired players as uncapped came from CSK (Chennai Super Kings) with the aim of retaining MS Dhoni, who retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020. Before the IPL 2022 mega auction, Dhoni was retained by CSK for INR 12 crore, while an uncapped player was retained for INR 4 crore.

Dhoni’s future in the IPL has been a topic of speculation for several seasons. After a knee surgery in 2023, he handed over the CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad for the 2024 season and played a more limited role, mainly as a late-order hitter. Dhoni recently mentioned that he and CSK will wait for the final player retention rules before deciding on his future in the IPL.

Retired India Players Might be Able to Lower Base Price

All franchises agreed that Indian players who haven’t played international cricket for five years should be allowed to have a lower base price at the auction. Right now, the lowest base price for capped Indian players is INR 50 lakh.

The idea, proposed by IPL Chief Operating Officer Hemang Amin, aims to help these players attract more buyers by reducing their base price. According to a franchise head, capped Indian players who haven’t played international cricket for several years are often forced to enter the auction at higher prices. As a result, they frequently go unsold, even if they are auctioned multiple times.

Annabel Sutherland Stars as Superchargers Thrash Invincibles

Annabel Sutherland led the Northern Superchargers to their first win in The Hundred with a standout performance at The Kia Oval. The Australian allrounder scored 63 runs off 40 balls, helping her team reach a strong total of 146 for 4. She then excelled with the ball, taking 4 wickets for just 11 runs. All four of her wickets were clean bowled and came in the final six balls of the match, showcasing her key role in the victory.

Sutherland’s brilliant all-round display secured the win after a previous loss and a tie for Hollie Armitage’s team. Her performance also added more excitement to the league, where every team has now experienced at least one loss.

“It is so nice to get a win on the board,” Sutherland. “I don’t think we were that far off last game with the tie. We’ve felt pretty good as a group. We’ve bowled very well, we just haven’t quite put it together with the bat, so it was nice to do it out there.”

Desperate for a win, Davina Perrin set a strong start for the Northern Superchargers with two early boundaries. Although her innings was brief, ending with a superb catch by Amanda-Jade Wellington off Rachel Slater’s bowling, her aggressive play hinted at the strong performance from the visitors.

Phoebe Litchfield continued the momentum, supported by England wicket-keeper Bess Heath. However, it was Annabel Sutherland’s impressive innings, including three powerful sixes, that really stood out.

The Oval Invincibles, unbeaten until now, were hopeful of chasing down the Superchargers’ score of 146, especially with Chamari Athapaththu, the Sri Lankan captain, making her first appearance this season after her team’s Asia Cup victory. But Athapaththu was out quickly, caught by Kate Cross off Linsey Smith’s bowling on the 20th ball. Two balls later, Invincibles were in trouble at 5 wickets down when Cross dismissed Mady Villiers.

Smith also took out Alice Capsey, and Marizanne Kapp was run out. With the score at 23 for 5, the match was nearly decided. Paige Scholfield and Wellington tried to rebuild for the Invincibles, but they never seriously threatened the Superchargers’ total. Sutherland then returned to take four more wickets in quick succession, securing the victory for the Superchargers.