Faf du Plessis will be one of the players eligible to move in IPL mid-season transfer window. (Source: BCCI)
After ten seasons of the cash-rich extravaganza that is the Indian Premier League (IPL) which has grown leaps and bounds since its inception in 2008, there is going to be a first for the tournament. For the first-time in its history, IPL will have a mid-season transfer window which will work differently from the conventional auction structure followed prior to the season or the transfer activity that happens in football.
The tournament is at its half-way mark with all teams having played at least seven matches from their stipulated 14 round robin matches. In the first part of the season, many players – foreign and domestic – who were bought for high sums haven’t had the expected impact or found the playing time. The mid-season transfer window is a boon for such players in quest of turning a leaf and breathing a new life for newer sides.
What is the IPL mid-season transfer window?
IPL mid-season transfer window is an opportunity for teams to remove dead weight from their squads having identified the players who are working for them and who are not. It allows franchises to get new players into the squad who they missed out on signing in the auction.
When does the IPL mid-season transfer window begin?
The IPL mid-season transfer window begins after Match 28 (played on Sunday, April 29, between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals which SRH won by 11 runs) and ends on May 10. At that juncture in the tournament, Match 42 would have been played between Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad. So this 12 day period is when teams can bring in or offload players.
Which players can move in the IPL mid-season transfer window?
Now for the most important part of the process. Not all players are eligible to move in the IPL mid-season transfer window. It has been created only to allow players who haven’t made much of an impact to move to another franchise. The following players can move:
# Both capped and uncapped players are eligible for a transfer
# In the case of capped players, only those who have played less than two matches after Match 28 are eligible for a transfer
# In the case of uncapped players, all of them remain are eligible for the transfer
# The two franchises concerned with the move and the player have to agree for the transfer to go ahead.
Keeping the above rules in mind, the likes of Alex Hales, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Tim Southee and Ish Sodhi are some of the players who can move to another franchise.
“Yes, this time the IPL will see mid-season transfers,” said Rajeev Shukla, head of the IPL Governing Council, to Mid-Day. “The transfer will take place in between Match No. 28 to 42 and the transfer window will be open for roughly five days. The transfer will take place only if there is a demand for that particular player from another franchise,” the official had explained further.