Ahead of the 2019 season, the Governing Council of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has opened a trade window to deal players in the off-season.
Cricket news: The Mumbai-based franchise has released two of its own players for this change
The final date to release and retain players is fast approaching and the first deal of the off-season was made today in the form of South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock.
The player formerly played for the franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, but will now on play for Mumbai Indians. De Kock was sold for Rs 2.8 crore as RCB decided it to be a money deal.
To make up for the price, MI had to release two players in the form of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman (Rs 2.2 crore) and Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya (Rs 50 lakhs).
Reports had previously emerged that MI would release those two players as they had other overseas for the same role. Moreover De Kock would also act as an opener and can give fiery starts which the Windies batsman Evin Lewis did in the previous season.
IPL has said the teams can swap players two times, in the off-season and in the mid-season. Moreover they can release uncapped players who have played less than two games.
November 15 has been slotted as the last date to submit the names of the players which the franchises want to retain or put them back in the auction pool.
Although there is no official date of the auction date, yet it is heard that it might happen mid-December. The venue of the next year’s IPL is not yet decided as the tournament might be moved out of the country because of the general elections which will be held at the same time.
The most probable destinations are South Africa and UAE. Once the BCCI gets aware of the election dates, they will then plan their action accordingly.