The BCCI restricts Indian players from joining the BBL to preserve their exclusivity in domestic leagues, protect the IPL’s brand, and ensure focus on national commitments.
Exploring the BCCI’s Stance: Protecting Indian Cricket’s Exclusive Ecosystem
The 12th season of the men’s Big Bash League (BBL), which is Australia’s marquee T20 league kick-started on Tuesday. Perth Scorchers are the defending champions having won their 4th BBL title last season.
Indian fans have often wondered why no top Indian players feature in BBL or in any other franchise T20 leagues around the world. In fact, the only Indian who has been part of the BBL is former under-19 captain Unmukt Chand (more on that later below) while none of the other Indian players have ever taken part in the BBL.
Many Indian fans and experts also rued this lack of experience of some Indian players in the Australian conditions following India’s semi-final exit in the T20 World Cup 2022 in November.
Why Indian men’s cricketers cannot to participate in overseas T20 leagues?
Well, the BCCI rules are clear in this matter: if a men’s cricketer wishes to participate in other top T20 leagues around the world, they have to retire from Indian cricket at all levels – that is cut all ties with the BCCI.
For example, Unmukt Chand now has a US citizenship. Chand, who had led India to the u-19 title in 2012, retired from all forms of cricket in India under BCCI’s purview and shifted to the US because of the lack of opportunities he’d gotten in domestic cricket. Chand then was eligible to play elsewhere – he got contracts in the BBL and CPL.
Recently, former India and CSK batsman Suresh Raina took part in the Abu Dhabi T10 league. He was able to do this after taking retirement from the IPL and all domestic cricket earlier in 2022 after going unsold in the IPL auction; Raina had already retired from international cricket in 2020.
Indian women’s players are allowed to play in overseas leagues
However, the BCCI has allowed their women players to feature in franchise leagues – since the BCCI hadn’t started the Women’s IPL, they had allowed they female players to partake elsewhere. The likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and Richa Ghosh have featured in the WBLL and the women’s Hundred.