IPL 2025: Decoding the player replacement rules
What's the story
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has broadened its player replacement policy for the 2025 season.
Now, teams can replace players with season-ending injuries or illnesses until the end of their 12th league fixture.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) amended the rule this year, expanding it from its previous cap of seven matches.
Here are further details.
Player criteria
Eligibility criteria for replacement players
To be eligible as a replacement player, one has to be on the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP) list for the season.
Also, their full-season league fee shouldn't be less than the reserve price set by them on this list, as per Cricbuzz.
This way, only those players who qualify can come in as replacements during the IPL season.
Franchise rules
Restrictions on franchises regarding RAPP list players
If a player is a net bowler, their current franchise cannot stop others from signing them.
The replacement's compensation should equal the league fee that the original player would have received.
"If a Replacement Player is recruited during a season, the League Fee actually paid to him will be reduced to take account of the Franchisee's Matches during the relevant season which took place before he was registered and any other relevant deductions under the Player Contract," the rule explains.
Salary cap
Replacement players and salary cap implications
The BCCI rule book mentions that the league fee of any replacement player will not be counted against the salary cap for that season.
However, if a replacement player's contract is extended, their fee will be charged against the salary cap in the following seasons.
This provision allows teams to manage their budgets well while accommodating necessary player replacements during the IPL season.
Regulations
Replacement player regulations for injured players
If a replacement is needed mid-season for an injured player (who has already played), certain conditions must be fulfilled.
These include the injury occurring before/during the 12th league match of the team, a BCCI-nominated doctor confirming it's season-ending, and besides this injury, the player would have been available for all remaining matches.
If these criteria are fulfilled, then the replaced player can't play again in any match during that season.
Replacements
IPL 2025: Notable player replacements
A number of franchises have already named replacements for injured players.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) recently drafted left-arm seamer Chetan Sakariya as a replacement for Umran Malik.
The other notable replacements are Mujeeb-ur-Rahman for Allah Ghazanfar by Mumbai Indians, Wiaan Mulder for Brydon Carse by Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Corbin Bosch for Lizaad Williams by Mumbai Indians.