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IPL 2021 could feature 10 teams instead of 8.
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BCCI official has suggested to increase the number of overseas players in the playing XI.
The idea to increase two teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2021 edition has created a stir among the current eight franchises. As per reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to roll out the tender for two more teams after Diwali.
The biggest reason of worry for franchises is that currently each team is allowed to have eight overseas players in the roster, only four can be named in the playing XI.
In this case, if the number of teams is expanded from 8 to 10, franchises are anxious that the pool of Indian players would be deprived of quality.
“Teams are already finding it difficult to ensure quality. If we look at most IPL squads, around seven to nine players form the core while two to three players per squad are rotated to find the right balance.
“Now, if eight franchises are increased to 10, that quality further gets diluted. IPL’s core – the very essence of having a salary purse every year – is to ensure the overall quality of all eight franchises remains somewhere at the same level, regardless of an individual franchise’s spending capacity.
“If two extra teams draw from the same pool of cricketers at the auction, can the quality be guaranteed,” the existing franchises asked BCCI as quoted by Times Now.
To combat this problem, a BCCI official has suggested that five overseas players should feature in playing XI instead of four.
As per TOI, a top BCCI official opined that most star overseas players end up warming the bench which doesn’t benefit any team.
“There are quality overseas players who are warming the bench every season because of the restriction. An added overseas player will balance out that need,” the official suggested.