IPL 2025: Irfan Pathan hails BCCI's decision to ban players for pulling out of league

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan has hailed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their new decision to ban players pulling out of the Indian Premier League. Pathan claimed that the IPL is getting stronger with this decision.

Recently, the IPL governing council had a meeting on September 28 and decided on the new rules and changes for the upcoming season. One of those rule changes was to ban the players for two IPL seasons who pull out of an IPL season after getting picked in the auction.

The request to take strict action against such players had come from all of the ten IPL teams during the meeting between franchises with the BCCI officials in July. The franchises have shown their displeasure over the last-minute pullouts as it affects the team badly at the last moment leaving them with no option.

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Irfan Pathan hails BCCI's decision to ban players pulling out of IPL

Irfan Pathan has welcomed BCCI's decision to ban the players for two years who pull out of an IPL season after being picked at the auction. Irfan Pathan took to social media to welcome the decision and claimed that the IPL is getting stronger in many ways.'

"Last two years I kept talking abt this. it’s Great to see decision taken by @BCCI ! Players who declare unavailability after being picked in the auction will now face a two-year ban. The @IPL is getting stronger in many ways," Irfan Pathan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Last two years I kept talking abt this. it’s Great to see decision taken by @BCCI ! Players who declare unavailability after being picked in the auction will now face a two-year ban. The @IPL is getting stronger in many ways.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) September 29, 2024

What does the new rule say?

The players getting picked at the auction will feel obliged to show their commitment to the franchises. The players won't be able to pull out at the last moment now barring any injury or medical condition, which will be confirmed by the player's home board.

"Any [overseas] player who registers for [an] auction and, after getting picked at the auction, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season will get banned from participating in the IPL/IPL auction for two seasons." The only exception, the governing council said, will be for "an injury/medical condition, which will have to be confirmed by the [player's] home board," an IPL statement read.

It is a great move that will satisfy the franchises as it is expected to reduce the no. of players pulling out of the tournament at the last moment. The strict move by the tournament's governing council was much needed as it is the biggest cricket league in the world.

There have been many foreign players in the past who have cited mental fatigue and various other reasons to pull out of the tournament at the last moment. Jason Roy, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, and Mitchell Starc are some of those big names, Roy has pulled out of IPL two times, in 2022 and 2024.