BCCI approves franchises to sign temporary replacements amid player availability issues in IPL 2025

The Board of Control for Cricket in Indian (BCCI) officials will allow the franchises to name replacement players for the remainder of the IPL 2025. As things stand, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Jamie Overton and Delhi Capitals opener Jake Fraser-McGurk will be unavailable for the last leg of the cash-rich tournament. Several other cricketers can follow suit as well. The future of Mitchell Starc, Jos Buttler, Tristan Stubbs and Kagiso Rabada, among others, is still in significant doubt. 

Due to the recent development, the BCCI officials have taken the call to tweak the rules, allowing temporary replacements to be signed for the remainder of the season, which is slated to begin on May 17. Nevertheless, the franchises won’t be able to retain those players next season. It is designed to protect the interest of the league and not allow franchises to sign multiple replacement players to rearrange their squad.

“Given the non-availability of certain



foreign players due to national commitments or personal reasons or any injury or illness, Temporary Replacement Players will be allowed until the conclusion of this tournament,” the league told the franchises in a memo.

“This decision is subject to the condition that the Temporary Replacement players taken from this point forward will not be eligible for retention in the following year. Temporary Replacement players will have to register for the IPL Player Auction 2026,” it further reads.

Meanwhile, it is also confirmed that the players who were signed before the suspension of the league can be retained by their respective franchises. It clarifies that CSK will be allowed to retain Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre and SK Rasheed, while Sediqullah Atal can be retained by Delhi Capitals, Mayank Agarwal by Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Nandre Burger by Rajasthan Royals, Shardul Thakur by Lucknow Super Giants and Mitch Owen by Punjab Kings, among a few others.