The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) suspended the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 9 due to border disputes between India and Pakistan. However, the BCCI has decided to resume the tournament on May 17 with a revised schedule.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 restart, the BCCI has issued a key guideline to all franchises regarding replacement players. Following the suspension on May 9, several foreign players left India for safety reasons, with some taking transit stops in other countries. Many of these players are expected to return to rejoin their teams.
However, a few foreign players will not be returning due to personal commitments or national duties. As a result, some franchises are seeking temporary replacements for these players. For example, Delhi Capitals (DC) have brought in Mustafizur Rahman as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk for the remainder of the season.
Replacement Players Not Eligible for Retention Next Season
BCCI notified IPL franchises via an official email about a critical rule concerning replacement players. According to the BCCI, any player brought in as a replacement after the suspension of IPL 2025 will not be eligible for retention in the following season.
Only those players who were signed as replacements before the suspension of IPL 2025 can be considered for retention next season. Any player recruited as a replacement after the suspension will be required to enter the player auction for the next season.
“Due to the unavailability of certain players because of national commitments, personal reasons, injuries, or illness, Temporary Replacement Players will be permitted until the end of this tournament,” BCCI stated in the email sent to the franchises.
The email further clarified, “This decision means that any Temporary Replacement Player brought in from this point onwards will not be eligible for retention next year. These players must register for the IPL Player Auction 2026. However, those who were approved or brought in before the suspension period will be eligible for retention ahead of the 2026 auction.”
According to standard IPL rules, teams are allowed to bring in replacement players only until the 12th league match of the season. However, due to the suspension of the tournament for a week, the BCCI has permitted teams to continue making replacements even beyond the 12th match.
Looking ahead, IPL 2025 is set to resume on May 17 with 17 remaining matches. Six venues have been selected to host these games. While no team has secured a playoff spot yet, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have been eliminated from playoff contention.
