The Board of Control for Cricket in India, also known as the BCCI had previously set August 20 as the deadline for the squad submission for phase 2 of IPL 2021. The marquee Indian T20 league is scheduled to start from September 19, with the deadline for the squad submission being right around the corner.
The franchises are in a difficult position as the England Cricket Board and Cricket Australia have left it on the players to decide whether they want to participate or not.
One of the officials from the teams said, “We have to submit the squad by August 20 but I can’t confirm whether all foreign players will be available. We are still in talks with some players. The good thing is that the T20 World Cup will be held in UAE and that gives us confidence that all players will be available but we are still waiting on some players’ final confirmation.”
BCCI also confirmed the availability of foreign players just a few weeks ago, giving them a little time to prepare for phase 2 of the tournament.
England and Australian players’ availability has been a question mark due to their international bilateral fixtures.
Another franchise official said, “Yes, BCCI’s delay in responding officially did play a part in last-minute hassle. We kept hearing about players’ availability in the news but BCCI only confirmed that officially in August. That’s why the August 20 deadline is a little early for us. But if that’s the norm, we will adhere to that.”