RCB team director Mike Hesson open to mid-season loan of players in IPL 2020

There were talks from the IPL governing council last year on a possibility of implementing a mid-season loan transfer for this year’s IPL. RCB team director Mike Hesson said earlier today that the Royal Challengers Bangalore are very much open to the idea.

The reason behind that is the RCB have the smallest travelling contingent of 21 players. Due to biosecurity protocols, quarantine requirements and travel restrictions, it would be difficult to summon late player replacements at such a short notice.

Hesson, at a virtual media conference earlier today, said, “Looks if needs must, later on, we are certainly open to it. We’ve got a small squad and we’ve done that for a reason. If something (injuries) was to occur, we’d certainly look at that.

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“You, however, need both teams to buy into any potential loan. So you need to make sure the other side is happy with the loan and think they’ll get benefit from it later on in the tournament as well. So it’s not a matter of identifying someone you want, they also have to be allowed to be released as well.”

Last year, the IPL had opened up a five-day window for uncapped players to be loaned mid-season in the manner of football transfers, subject to the player not having featured in more than two games. It was a move that found support from Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Mahela Jayawardene.

Rohit Sharma and Mahela Jayawardene supported the mid-season loaning of uncapped players

This time around, for the first time, the IPL has permitted loans of capped players – Indian or overseas – between teams at the halfway point in the season. Teams could use it should they have injury concerns going into the second half of the tournament.

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Hesson, who was with the Kings XI Punjab before moving to RCB, explained, “It will come in at some stage due to the fact that it’s hard to get potential replacements. We are very comfortable with the squad we have, but if we get injuries or so forth then loan opportunities could become an option. It’s certainly something that BCCI are well aware (of) as well.”

If teams were to loan players, the arrangement would be between the franchises, with the money paid from outside the auction purse. The player will be entitled to his fixed auction price and won’t benefit from such a transfer. The IPL, however, will be notified about the transaction.