BCCI Apex Council mulls over retirement policy for cricketers, permits to play in overseas leagues

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to formulate a uniform retirement policy for retired players seeking opportunities in overseas leagues.

While the matter was discussed at the Apex Council meeting on Thursday,  Sportstar understands that the office-bearers have been tasked with examining the legal and administrative aspects before preparing a framework governing retired Indian cricketers’ participation in foreign leagues.

“The office-bearers will look at the legal options and all other aspects before finalising a policy that players will need to follow going forward,” a source said.

The issue gained urgency following Vijay Shankar’s recent retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. Within days of announcing his decision, the former India all-rounder made himself available for the Lanka Premier League and was subsequently signed by Kandy Royals for the 2026 season.

His case has once again brought the spotlight on the BCCI’s existing regulations, which bar active Indian cricketers — including international, domestic and IPL players — from participating in overseas franchise leagues.

As a result, the route of retirement followed by a move to foreign T20 competitions has increasingly become a subject of discussion within the Board. Over the years, several former Indian cricketers have featured in overseas leagues after stepping away from Indian cricket, often without any mandatory cooling-off period.

The Apex Council is expected to revisit the matter once the office-bearers submit their recommendations.

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Help for Fiji and Maldives

In another key development, the BCCI is set to extend assistance to the cricket bodies of Fiji and Maldives as part of the ICC’s broader efforts to support the growth of the game in emerging cricket nations.

An affiliation application from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands also came up for discussion during Thursday’s meeting.

Speaking to  Sportstar in January, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia had reiterated the Board’s commitment to supporting smaller cricketing nations.

“Now we are helping many other countries. We are trying to help Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Namibia. Even the Karnataka and Assam state teams visited Namibia,” Saikia had said.

The BCCI has previously undertaken similar initiatives. In 2019, it deputed its then General Manager (Game Development), Saba Karim, and then India A fielding coach Abhay Sharma to Maldives to assess the state of cricket in the island nation and explore ways to aid its development.

Meanwhile, contrary to multiple reports, there were no discussions on India’s T20I captaincy during the Apex Council meeting. Selection matters fall under the purview of the national selection committee and team management, and are not within the jurisdiction of the Apex Council.

Published on Jun 04, 2026