There is no doubt that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has provided a great platform for the local Indian cricketers to showcase their skills. But the overseas players are the centre of attraction in the IPL.
They spice up things to another level with their performances. And teams are always on the lookout to snap up some of the biggest overseas T20 stars.
If allowed, franchises would pump up their teams with these foreign players. But the IPL Governing Council (IPL GC) has set limitations on the number of overseas players a team can have in their squad.
So how many overseas players are allowed in IPL teams?
Well, let’s find out the answer. Shall we?
How many overseas players an IPL team can buy in auction?
First up, let’s see the maximum number of overseas players every team can buy in the IPL auction.
Every IPL franchise can have a maximum of 25 players in their squad per season. And out of them, only eight can be overseas cricketers.
So a team can buy eight foreign players during the mega auction, which happens every three to four years, or the mini-auction, which happens every year between two mega auctions.
If any foreign player gets injured before or during the season, teams can replace them with another overseas player. But they cannot exceed the maximum number.
Moreover, franchises can also trade overseas stars during the off-season within the limit.
So eight overseas in the squad, then how many in the playing XI?
Some teams would like to field all eight overseas players in their XI. But they can name a maximum of four foreign players in the playing XI. The rest seven must be Indian players.
So teams need to pick up their four overseas cricketers by maintaining the balance of the side. Even with the impact player rule in place, a team can’t field more than four overseas players in a match.
If they want to use overseas players as an impact substitute, then they can name only three foreign players in the XI. They can bring the fourth player during the match by replacing them with one of the three foreigners or the seven Indian players in the XI.
The same goes for the normal fielding substitution. A team can’t have more than four foreign players on the field at a time.
Can teams pick less than four overseas players in the XI?
Yes. It’s not mandatory to have four foreigners in the playing XI.
A team can choose to play only two or three overseas stars, and that’s pretty fine. And there have been a few instances in the past when IPL teams only fielded three foreigners in their XI.
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