[Source: BBC]

Players who pull out of the Indian Premier League at short notice will be banned from taking part in the following two seasons in a new rule introduced to the world’s most lucrative T20 franchise league.

The rule will impact any player who signs up for an auction and is picked but pulls out before the start of the season.

It is understood there will be an exemption for “injury or medical condition”.

England players Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, David Willey and Harry Brook were all among those to pull out of the IPL this year.

Brook withdrew following the death of his grandmother.

In other announcements, teams will be able to retain up to six players from their current squad for the 2025 season.

There will be a ‘mega auction’ – the larger auctions held every three years – before next year’s tournament with a significant overturn in squads expected.

A match fee of 7.5 lakh rupees (£6,700) has also been introduced to the IPL for the first time which will be paid on top of player salaries.

Australia left-arm quick Mitchell Starc became the most expensive signing in the tournament’s history last year when he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for 24.75 crore Indian rupees (£2.3m).