New Delhi: In yet another interesting development, Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises are now pushing to reduce their squad size for the 2016 season.
This could lead to an increase in the number of unsold players at the big auction next month.
According to a report on the Times of India, IPL teams intend to follow a similar model to the Big Bash League where squad upper limit is 18.
In the IPL, the upper limit of the player pool for each team is 25 players. However, most teams are now looking to reduce it down to anywhere between 18 and 21.
The only team that is not in favor of trimming the squad is defending champions Mumbai Indians. The Mukesh Ambani-owned team has retained 19 players for this season, while the remaining five franchises have kept hold of 14 or 15 players.
The rationale behind wanting to reduce the player pool, apart from saving money, is to avoid keeping too many players on the sidelines, which is not ideal for a healthy team spirit.
“The general belief is to make the most of 18 to 21 players. Carrying a 25-member squad is in any case a logistical challenge. It will also help teams to invest a greater amount on selected players rather than spending on those who are likely to stay on the fringes,” a franchise official told TOI on Saturday.
