Explained: Rules for player placement in IPL 2025 amid Corbin Bosch controversy

With Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 yet to begin, several franchises have already been forced to make changes to their squads due to injuries. While most of these replacements have gone smoothly, one particular case has sparked legal trouble. Teams like Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have announced replacements, but Mumbai’s signing of Corbin Bosch as a replacement for Lizaad Williams has landed in a potential contractual dispute with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Confirmed replacements before IPL 2025 begins

Several teams have had to tweak their squads due to player injuries. KKR signed Chetan Sakariya in place of Umran Malik, while Mumbai roped in Mujeeb Ur Rahman as a replacement for Allah Ghazanfar. SRH also made a change, bringing in Wiaan Mulder to replace Brydon Carse.

Additionally, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are monitoring their injury situation, with Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan facing fitness concerns. If needed, they may draft in Shardul Thakur or Shivam Mavi as replacements to strengthen their pace attack. However, the most controversial replacement so far has been Bosch, who joined Mumbai as a replacement for Williams.

BCCI’s updated player replacement rules for IPL 2025

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made key changes to its player replacement regulations, ensuring that franchises have more flexibility to deal with injuries. Previously, teams could replace a player only until the seventh match of the season. However, for IPL 2025, BCCI has extended this deadline to the 12th league match, giving teams more time to finalize their squads.

Eligibility criteria for replacement players

• A player can be signed as a replacement only if he is part of the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP) for that season.
• His contracted salary must not be lower than his base price as listed in the RAPP.
• If a franchise initially signed a player as a net bowler, they cannot stop him from joining another franchise if he is signed as a replacement.
• The replacement player’s salary cannot exceed the amount of the player he is replacing.
• If a player is signed mid-season, his contracted salary will be adjusted based on the number of matches remaining.

Impact of replacements on IPL salary cap

A major concern for franchises when signing replacements is how it affects their salary cap for the season. BCCI has set clear guidelines regarding this issue:

• The replacement player’s salary does not count toward the team’s overall salary cap for that season.
• If a team decides to retain the replacement player for the following season, then his full salary will be included in the cap.
• Franchises must ensure their total squad size does not exceed 25 players, even after making replacements.
• If a team signs a replacement player during IPL 2025, 2026, or 2027, they have the option to extend his contract, but from the next season onwards, he will be treated like a regular squad member in terms of salary cap rules.

Mid-season replacements: Rules and restrictions

A mid-season replacement is only allowed under specific conditions. These include:

• The injury or illness must occur before or during the team’s 12th league match.
• A BCCI-appointed doctor must confirm that the injury is season-ending.
• The injured player must have been available for the remainder of the season if not for the injury.
• The injury must prevent the player from participating in all remaining matches of the season.

Once a player is replaced mid-season, he cannot return to the squad for the remainder of IPL 2025.

Also READ: IPL 2025: The Teams most likely to dominate this Season

The Corbin Bosch controversy: IPL vs PSL contract dispute

Among all the replacements, the biggest controversy has erupted around Bosch, who was signed by Mumbai to replace Williams. However, Bosch’s participation in IPL 2025 has led to a potential legal battle with the PCB.

Bosch was originally signed by Peshawar in PSL 2025 under the Diamond category, which reportedly valued his contract between INR 50-75 lakh (USD 60,000-80,000). However, Bosch chose to opt out of PSL at the last moment to sign for MI in IPL 2025.

The PCB has now accused Bosch of breaching his contract and is considering legal action against the South African all-rounder. The case has raised serious questions about the legality of cross-league transfers, and whether players can break PSL contracts to participate in IPL. As a result, Bosch’s move to IPL could set a new legal precedent, possibly affecting future signings between IPL and PSL.

Replacement players and their salaries in IPL 2025

Several key replacement signings have already been confirmed:

• Mujeeb joined Mumbai  for INR 2 crore, replacing Allah, who was originally signed for INR 4.8 crore.
• Mulder (SRH) and Sakariya (KKR) were signed for INR 75 lakh each, their base price at the auction.
• Bosch’s salary details remain undisclosed, but he was originally listed at INR 30 lakh in the IPL auction, where he went unsold. However, he later joined MI as a replacement for Williams, who was signed for INR 75 lakh.

With IPL 2025 yet to begin, more replacements could still be announced, especially for teams like LSG, who are still assessing their injury concerns. Meanwhile, the legal battle between Bosch and PCB could set new rules and regulations for how cross-league contracts are handled in the future. The IPL season is just days away, and all eyes will now be on how these replacements perform for their respective teams.

Also READ: IPL 2025: Top 10 wicketkeepers to watch out for