Player Replacement Rule in IPL 2025: With the 18th season is yet to being, several teams have already announced key player replacements due to injuries.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) permits player replacements if a cricketer suffers a season ending injury or illness, either before or during the tournament. The player replacement in the IPL has always sparked debates which has multiple last minute changes and even legal complications.
IPL 2025 Player Replacement Rules – Explained
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCi) permits player replacements if a cricketer suffers a season ending injury or illness, either before or during the tournament. This year, BCCI has updated the regulations, extending the replacement windows period.
The board has revised the rule this season allowing replacement till the 12th league match of the season. Earlier it was allowed only till the seventh match.
“If a Replacement Player is recruited during a season, the League Fee actually paid to him will be reduced to take account of the Franchisee’s Matches during the relevant season which took place before he was registered and any other relevant deductions under the Player Contract,” the rule explains.
To Qualify as a replacement player, the following conditions must be followed.
- The player must be listed in the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP) for the relevant season.
- His league fee cannot be lower than his reserve price set in the RAPP list.
- If a team has a net bowler listed in the RAPP, they cannot prevent another franchise from signing him.
- The replacement player’s contract cannot exceed the fee of the cricketer he is replacing.
- If recruited mid-season, his salary will be adjusted based on the number of remaining matches.
How Does Player Replacement Rule in IPL 2025 impact Salary Cap
“The League Fee payable to any Replacement Player signed pursuant to this paragraph 6 will be ignored for the purpose of the Salary Cap for that Season. If a Replacement Player’s Player Contract is extended in accordance with its terms, the League Fee payable to the Player for the subsequent Season will be charged against the Salary Cap for the relevant Season,” says the BCCI rules.
- The replacement player’s fee will not be accounted against the franchise’s salary cap for that season.
- If the team retains the replacement player for the upcoming season, his full salary will then be considered under the cap.
- Franchises must ensure their squad strength does not exceed 25 players after making replacements.
Mid Season Replacement Rules
“For the avoidance of doubt, if a franchisee extends the contract of a replacement player, he shall, for any relevant subsequent season, be treated as any other player for the purpose of the squad composition regulations and the salary cap,” the BCCI clarifies for the 2025, 2026 and 2027.
A mid season player replacement rule in ipl 2025 is allowed only if,
- The player is injured before or during the team’s 12th league match.
- A BCCI-appointed doctor confirms that the injury whether the player is eligible to play or not.
- The Player will not be allowed to play for the rest of the season if not for the injury.
- The injury forces the player to miss all remaining matches. Once a player is replaced, he cannot rejoin the squad for the remainder of the season.
A biggest controversy has erupted recently wih Corbin Bosch who joined a replacement for injured Lizaad Williams as might face possible legal action from Pakistan Cricket Board for allegedly violating his PSL contract to join IPL.
Kolkata knight Riders (KKR) has brought in their net bowler Chetan Sakariya for Umran Malik, Mumbai Indians (MI) brought in Mujeeb Ur Rahman as a replacement for Allah Ghazanfar and Wiaan Mulder has been replaced Brydon Carse in Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Also Read: IPL 2025 Replacement Players List – All New Squads
