The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) proposed a new retirement policy during an online Apex Council meeting on Thursday (June 04, 2026). Indian cricketers who opt for an early retirement from international and domestic cricket to participate in foreign overseas leagues are likely to face a five-year cooling period.
Recently, KL Bharat too retired from international cricket by officially announcing via a social media post. However, he remains eligible to play the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
This discussion comes after Vijay Shankar’s retirement, who recently bid adieu to his international and domestic career to represent Kandy Royals in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026.
Past Instances of Retired Indian Players Who Played in Foreign Franchise Leagues
Before Vijay Shankar, several Indian players retired from domestic cricket to gain eligibility to participate in foreign franchise leagues, which include the familiar names such as:
- Dinesh Karthik
- Yuvraj Singh
- Unmukt Chand
- Pravin Tambe
- Irfan Pathan
A couple of months back, the legendary Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was signed by the San Francisco Unicorns ahead of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2026. The 39-year-old is set to make his debut in the overseas franchise league after IPL retirement, having missed out on his maiden BBL stint with Sydney Thunder last year due to injury.
However, the Indian players’ decision sparked debates about whether they should be granted more freedom in the later stages of their careers without having to formally retire from the national cricket team.
BCCI Official Explains Reason Behind Five-Year Cooling Period Concept
The Indian cricket board clarified the reason behind introducing the five-year cooling-off period to ensure players make decisions carefully before retiring from international or domestic cricket.
Here is what the BCCI official said: “See! This concept conveys a clear message to players to be well aware of their decisions. Different methods and approaches will be worked out, and all parameters will be considered before framing the rules,” the BCCI official stated.
Latest Report: BCCI President and Secretary to Take A Final Call
During the online Apex council meeting, the matter was discussed in detail to prevent Indian players from taking part in the overseas league immediately after retirement. However, the BCCI president, Mithun Manhas, and secretary, Devajit Saikia, are yet to take a final decision regarding the five-year cooling-off period.
Here is what the latest BCCI report read: “Yes! The discussion has been done, but the matter is completely upto the BCCI president and secretary to take the final decision. However, the board is seriously considering setting up a cooling period of at least five years for a player to be a part of Indian cricket once again after playing in an overseas league”.
BCCI’s Strict Actions After Vijay Shankar’s Retirement
Retired Indian players who participate in overseas leagues can be a part of the Indian cricket setup after five years. In recent times, there has been a massive surge of Indian cricketers who have retired from international or domestic cricket at the premature stages of their careers.
Vijay Shankar, the 35-year-old all-rounder, immediately made himself available for the LPL 2026 after announcing his retirement. The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer featured in 77 first-class games, 112 List A, and 159 T20 matches, including his last IPL game for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025.
Following Shankar’s retirement, the BCCI has become much more cautious about this matter.
BCCI’s Existing Rule About Indian Players’ Participation in Overseas League
Compared to other cricket boards, the BCCI has maintained a strict policy regarding its overseas franchise league participation. As per the current rules, any Indian player active in their international, domestic, or IPL career cannot participate in foreign T20 tournaments.
This rule was introduced to strengthen the structure of the Indian domestic cricket and IPL to ensure that the local players dedicate their careers to the BCCI-affiliated cricket.
However, a player is deemed to be eligible to participate in foreign leagues after retiring from the national cricket team.
Apex Council Discussions Focus on Highly Structured Framework
So far, there has been no official announcement regarding the new policy. But, it is reported that the Apex Council is keen to develop more structured guidelines regarding the Indian players’ retirement and their participation in overseas leagues.
Possibly, the Council might focus on these key areas that include:
- Defined retirement period before joining foreign leagues.
- Eligibility criteria for former international and local players.
- IPL participation and foreign league guidelines.
- Measures to prevent players from opting for a premature retirement only for the franchise league participation.
- BCCI can prefer retaining existing rules as well as introducing a clear set of guidelines on how players can exit from domestic cricket.