(Source X)
Kavya Maran, the CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has strongly urged the IPL Governing Council and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to implement stringent penalties for players who opt out of their IPL commitments post-auction.
Maran’s impassioned plea follows the contentious case involving Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, who withdrew from IPL 2024 citing injury. However, there are suspicions that Hasaranga’s decision was influenced by dissatisfaction with his auction bid of just INR 1.5 crore, significantly lower than his previous salary of over INR 10 crore with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
SRH CEO Kavya Maran displeased with IPL overseas players’ withdrawals after the auction.
His recent form had shown considerable depth, prompting Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to release Hasaranga before last year’s mini-auction. Nonetheless, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured him for INR 1.5 crore, a bid that allegedly left him dissatisfied about committing to the IPL 2024 season in India for over two months.
This decision has significantly disrupted SRH’s plans, leading Kavya Maran to express her displeasure towards Hasaranga. Other franchises such as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also encountered setbacks in IPL 2024. LSG lost England’s Mark Wood and David Willey, while KKR faced withdrawals from Jason Roy and Gus Atkinson, all citing personal reasons and workload management.
Adding to the chaos, Delhi Capitals (DC) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were similarly affected when England’s Harry Brook and Australia’s Adam Zampa withdrew from IPL 2024, citing personal reasons.
Maran emphasized the detrimental impact of such withdrawals on team strategies and auction plans. She called for stringent measures, advocating for bans on players who withdraw from IPL commitments, ahead of the upcoming IPL 2025 auction.
Kavya Maran urges action against players withdrawing post-IPL auction.
During a meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, July 31, the CEO of SRH highlighted the significant investments made by franchises in building their squads. She expressed concern over players withdrawing after receiving lower bids, which disrupts team dynamics and strategy.
In the meeting with IPL team owners and BCCI officials, the SRH CEO advocated for several changes in the auction policy. Among her proposals was the removal of restrictions on the number of foreign players, aiming to enhance flexibility and strategic planning for all franchises.
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.”
In addition, Maran put forth the argument that retired players should not be classified as uncapped players but should instead be allowed to enter the IPL auction. She believes this change would ensure that their worth and contributions are appropriately acknowledged, rather than restricting them to the capped player limits meant for uncapped players.
