Former player and TV pundit Ricky Ponting. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Jofra Archer was added at the last minute ahead of the Indian Premier League’s 2025 player auction. And on Sunday, of the three players that remained unsold in the first six sets, two — David Warner and Jonny Bairstow — were overseas cricketers.

These two events are interlinked, possibly due to the amended rule vis-a-vis overseas cricketers’ participation in IPL. In a bid to curb overseas cricketers registering for the auction and then withdrawing before the season citing personal reasons, the IPL authorities have introduced a new rule.

According to the rule, except for a justifiable medical reason, an overseas player will be disallowed to enter the IPL auction for the next two years if he withdraws between the auction and the beginning of an IPL season.

While Shashwat Goenka, the Lucknow Super Giants owner, has welcomed the rule, Punjab Kings head coach Ricky Ponting was “very comfortable” with the introduction of the rule.

“I have been there first-hand last year, when our first pick, for personal reasons, wasn’t able to join the IPL, and your whole auction strategy for the rest of the season goes completely out of the window,” Ponting said.

“The personal reasons, the injury stuff, that is all still there, obviously, and it needs to be, because the players need some protection as well. But it’s just so important that the players understand what investment the teams are making in them.”

Ponting was referring to Harry Brook withdrawing after being Delhi Capitals’ big signing last year. Similarly, Mark Wood (Lucknow Super Giants) and Wanindu Hasaranga (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) pulled out without justifiable reasons in the recent past.

“It’s a big investment that we, as coaches or as team owners, are making. And one false move in the auction can bring you undone for three or four years, and if that’s because someone doesn’t turn up, then I think what they brought in with the two-year ban is a great way to ensure that when the players put their name in, that they are committed for that period of time.”

The fallout of the new rule has been that the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia have assured the BCCI full availability of their contracted cricketers.

As a result, Archer was asked to be added at the eleventh hour only after the franchises were assured of his availability for the whole season. And the lanky pacer earned a hefty paycheck, taking home ₹12.50 crore before Rajasthan Royals outbid Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians