IPL 2020: Royal Challengers Bangalore Open To Mid-Season Transfer Of Players, Says Mike Hesson

Royal Challengers Bangalore will be interested in a football style mid-season loan transfer at IPL 2020, team director Mike Hesson has said. Last season, the IPL governing council had allowed a five-day window for uncapped players to be loaned mid-season, subject to the player not having featured in more than two games.

Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Mahela Jayawardene had supported the idea but not a single team had loaned any player. For the upcoming season, the IPL has permitted loans of capped players too – Indian or overseas – between teams at the halfway point in the season. Teams could use it should they have injury concerns going into the second half of the tournament.

And ahead of the start of IPL 2020, Royal Challengers have made it clear they are open to the mid-season transfer due to bio-security protocols, quarantine requirements and travel restrictions that could make it difficult to get late player replacements.

“Look if it is needed, later on, we are certainly open to it. We’ve got a small squad and we’ve done that for a reason. If something injuries were to occur, we’d certainly look at that,” Mike Hesson was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

With just 21 players in their squad, Royal Challengers Bangalore have the smallest contingent for IPL 2020. And while the franchise is open to the mid-season transfer window, Mike Hesson insisted that loaning a player is not easy. He said that not only would it be important to identify the correct player midway through the tournament, the decision of other teams to release the players is also crucial.

“You, however, need both teams to buy into any potential loan. So you need to make sure the other side is happy with the loan and think they’ll get benefit from it later on in the tournament as well. So it’s not a matter of identifying someone you want, they also have to be allowed to be released as well,” said Mike Hesson.

“It will come in at some stage due to the fact that it’s hard to get potential replacements. We are very comfortable with the squad we have, but if we get injuries or so forth then loan opportunities could become an option. It’s certainly something that BCCI are well aware of as well,” added the former New Zealand head coach.

IPL 2020 is scheduled to get underway on September 19 with the final scheduled on November 10. Royal Challengers Bangalore are eyeing their first-ever IPL title. They have not made it to the playoffs since their final appearance in 2016.

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