It has been reported that two IPL franchises have complained to the BCCI alleging ‘pursuing and poaching’ of their star players by another franchise.
On the eve of the player retention deadline day for IPL 2022, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings have reached out to the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI) alleging ‘pursuing and poaching’ by the Lucknow franchise with regards to Rashid Khan and KL Rahul.
The final IPL 2022 retention lists are set to be revealed later today with all eight franchises mandated to submit their retentions by the November 30 deadline. Several reports have emerged regarding last moment negotiations that are on with franchises wanting to ensure they make the best use of their retention kitty amid the mega auction likely to take place later in December or in early January next year.
As per one report, star Indian batsman KL Rahul and Afghan spinner Rashid Khan are at risk of being banned for a year due to issues with alleged negotiations with another franchise. SRH and PBKS have raised the issue with BCCI, complaining that the Lucknow franchise is 'pursuing & poaching' their star players Rashid Khan and KL Rahul, according to InsideSport.in.
As per the report, BCCI is now looking into the complaints from PBKS and SRH. InsideSport quoted a senior official with BCCI as saying, “We haven’t received any letter but we have received a verbal complaint from two franchises about players poaching by Lucknow team. We are looking into it, and we will take appropriate action if it proves to be true. We don’t want to disturb the balance. You cannot avoid such things when there is fierce competition. But it’s not fair to the existing teams when they are trying to balance everything.”
The report claims that KL Rahul has been offered a record-breaking amount of Rs 20 crore to exit PBKS for the unnamed Lucknow franchise which is backed by the RPSG group. Rahul was on a Rs 11 crore salary at PBKS.
Furthermore, the Lucknow franchise has reportedly offered Rs 16 crore to Rashid Khan to move from SRH to their team. It has also been reported that the Hyderabad franchise was reluctant to shell more than Rs 12 crore for retaining Khan’s services for IPL 2022. The Afghan spinner is currently on a salary of Rs 9 crore.
It is to be noted that KL Rahul and Rashid Khan could face a ban if the allegations are found to be true by the BCCI. Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was subjected to a similar ban in 2010 for breaking IPL protocol by opening contact with other franchises while being on the payrolls of Rajasthan Royals.
InsideSport was told by a franchise official, “Poaching of players is not right in football and the same goes for cricket. I understand the new teams will be eager to get the best players but offering insane sums only contributes to disrespecting the existing teams. KL Rahul has been a valuable player and manipulating him to leave the team is not right.”
Another official was quoted as saying, “See, it’s obviously unfair. Till November 30, the players are under our contract and we have the right to negotiate and no one else as per BCCI guidelines. Hence, it is illegal as per the IPL charter. But it is not just about the new franchises. In the past as well, many of our players were approached during the break or before an auction but this time with three first picks, it makes the job difficult for us. We can only hope that BCCI will make stricter guidelines and penalties in such instances for not just the player but also the franchise.”
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 "IPL 2022 retention DEADLINE: KL Rahul, Rashid Khan may face one-year ban, here's why")
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