Kavya Maran enters into a fist fight with BCCI over foreign players' availability; demands a ban

Kavya Maran, CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has demanded the IPL Governing Council and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to impose strict bans on players who back out of their Indian Premier League (IPL) commitments after the auctions.

A fiery call to action from the SRH CEO came in the wake of the controversial case of Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who withdrew from IPL 2024 citing injury, but some suspect that he was not happy by a modest bid of just INR 1.5 crore, which was too less from his previous salary of over INR 10 crore with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

SRH CEO Kavya Maran unhappy with overseas players' IPL withdrawal post-auction

There was significant depth in his form in the past few seasons, and that’s why the RCB released Hasaranga ahead of last year’s mini-auction. However, the Sri Lankan spin all-rounder found a buyer in SRH at INR 1.5 crore, and he allegedly felt this value wasn’t enough for him to spend over two months in India for the IPL 2024.

It has certainly disturbed SRH’s plans, leaving Maran furious at Hasaranga, as many other franchisees have also faced similar setbacks in the IPL 2024, including the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The KKR and LSG faced double setbacks as England's Mark Wood and David Willey (both LSG), Jason Roy and Gus Atkinson (both KKR) pulled out of the IPL 2024 citing personal reasons and workload management.

Apart from SRH, KKR, and LSG, Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were also backstabbed by England batter Harry Brook and Australian spinner Adam Zampa, respectively, with the duo withdrawing from the IPL 2024 citing personal reasons.

Expressing her frustrations, Maran explained how such withdrawals disrupt team strategies and auctions before calling for a ban on such players ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 auction.

Kavya Maran calls for action against players who withdraw post-IPL auction

The SRH CEO said that the franchises invest substantial effort and resources into building their squads, and players who pull out after low bids create chaos, upsetting team balance and combinations.

She raised the matter during the meeting between IPL team owners and the BCCI authorities in Mumbai on Wednesday, July 31. The SRH CEO called for many improvements in the auction policy including the removal of restrictions on the number of foreign players.

Kavya Maran was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz: “After being selected in the auction if a player doesn't come to play the season for any reason apart from injury, he should be banned. The franchises put a lot of effort into the auction to form their combinations."

"If a player goes for a low amount in the auction, and subsequently doesn't turn up, it affects the combination and the balance of the side. There have been many instances of overseas players not turning up for this reason.”

Furthermore, Maran argued that retired players should not be categorized as uncapped but should enter the IPL auction instead. She feels this approach ensures their value and contribution are properly recognized, rather than limiting them to uncapped player amounts.