A football-style mid-season on-loan transfer of players was suggested last year during an Indian Premier League Governing Council meeting and as far as its implementation goes, Royal Challengers Bangalore are certainly open to the idea, especially keeping their thin squad in mind. RCB’s head of operations, Mike Hesson, admitted that he would trade players in the middle of the season if such a situation arises, though he also pointed out that the other franchise also has to be open to the idea.
RCB have 21 players in the travelling contingent that arrived in Dubai for the IPL Season 13. Keeping in mind that signing players later in the season due to the bio-security protocols and quarantine procedures would be tricky, loan of players from other teams seems like a better option.
“Look if needs must, later on, we are certainly open to it,” team director Mike Hesson said at a virtual media conference on Wednesday. “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.
“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.”
Even IPL 2019 had a 5-day window in which the uncapped players could be signed on loan, though certain conditions were put in place which deemed the players who had played more than 2 games ineligible.
In the 2020 season, however, loan of capped players — both Indian and overseas — is allowed halfway through the season.
“It will come in at some stage due to the fact that it’s hard to get potential replacements,” Hesson explained. “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.”
