Inaugural season champions Rajasthan Royals have sought players on the fringes of other franchises as the loan transfer window begins in the ongoing 14th edition of the Indian Premier League.
Are the worst affected team due to the premature departure of multiple players from the ongoing IPL 2021. The efflux of these players, including ones injured and those opting out because of bio-bubble fatigue, have left RR significantly under-strength, especially in the overseas contingent.
With injuries to Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer triggering their exit from the entire IPL 2021 and Andrew Tye, Liam Livingstone also returning home for personal reasons, RR now only has four overseas players available within their squad, an unsustainable situation given the competition level.
The Royals have won two and lost three of their five matches so far. Still, they have the majority of their league stage campaign remaining. They can’t do with just Mustafizur Rahman, Chris Morris, David Miller and Jos Buttler available within their ranks in the overseas contingent.
According to the IPL playing conditions, “the loan Window will start at 9 am IST on the day following the 20th league match scheduled for the season and will end at noon IST on the day following the 56th league match scheduled for the season.” The window, therefore, got activated from Monday (April 26) morning, straight after the double-header played on Sunday.
While there hasn’t been any official statement on the matter from RR, Cricbuzz stated a CEO from a southern-based franchise confirming that they did receive a written request from their fellow franchise to loan out players.
“We have received a request from them a couple of days ago and we have not decided on it. The team management will take a call,”
the CEO said.
“We will consider if we can loan them a player or two from our surpluses,”
another CEO was quoted as saying in the Cricbuzz report.
As per the IPL rules, a player involved in the loan transfer window must have played – either in the Playing XI or as a Concussion Replacement – less than two matches at the start of the loan period. It is, however, clarified in the rule book that a player can’t be loaned out more than once in a particular season and he can’t also play against his previous franchise.
“Each franchisee may loan no more than three of its players to the same franchisee during the season,”
IPL’s adopted rule for loan transfer window says.
There are other hurdles, too, for the franchises to get players on loan. Still, the BCCI and IPL governing council could provide some relaxations to teams like RR, considering the unprecedented nature of the times.
