IPL franchises not willing to release players for IPL All-Star Game: Report

Former Team India skipper and current Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly last month had said that the cricket body will have an IPL All-Star game between all top international players before the start of the IPL 2020 for a charitable cause. Recently a report has emerged that there are doubts over the possibility of IPL All-Star game happening since the franchises might prove to be roadblocks.

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IPL 2020: Franchisees hesitant to release players 

According to the report published by a leading publication, cricket and commercial are the main reasons involved for the franchises to say no to an IPL All-Star game before the commencement of the tournament. Some franchises are also worried that star players could pick up injuries while taking part in the match. The media house also spoke to franchisee owners regarding the matter to which one franchise owner said that commercially, they are not okay if players don’t wear their team's jersey (regardless of an IPL All-Star game).

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Another franchise owner said that sharing a player just days or a week before the start of the IPL doesn’t make sense since there are injury risks involved. The owner also said that a player will have to miss out on team bonding exercises and travel that much more and it doesn’t make sense to release them as that's the only time that players ( national and international) get to bond with each other before the start of the tournament.

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About IPL All-Star game 

According to the format, IPL All-Star game will witness players being picked from all the eight franchises to form two teams. The teams will be divided on the basis of region. The four franchises from North and East India will form one team while the other four franchises from South and West India will form the other team. With the franchises not keen on releasing their players for the exhibition match, the BCCI may push the All-Star game to be held post IPL.

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