BCCI decides to hold IPL 2027 auction in India; discussion on changing the impact player rule

Following unsatisfactory results in the IPL 2026 season, the Delhi Capitals (DC) team has begun making significant changes to its coaching staff. After Hemang Badani's departure as head coach, the club has brought in legendary Sri Lankan fast bowler Chamindu Was to its support staff.

According to reports, the 52-year-old Was will become the new fast bowling coach for Delhi Capitals and has already joined the team's training camp, which started in New Delhi. Chamindu Was is considered one of the greatest fast bowlers from Sri Lanka; he was part of the Sri Lankan team that won the 1996 ODI World Cup. During his international career spanning about 15 years, Was took a total of 761 wickets across all formats and scored 5147 runs, demonstrating good performance as a batsman.

In the new Delhi Capitals squad, his role will be focused on working with fast bowlers. Was's international experience could prove very useful for the team's bowling department.

According to TOI, Delhi Capitals also negotiated with Zahir Khan and former captain Anil Kumble. Discussions with Zahir progressed quite far, and talks were held with Kumble regarding an appointment. However, agreement could not be reached in both cases. One source reported that negotiations with Zahir went very well, but no agreement on appointment terms was reached with Kumble.

Delhi Capitals is attracting several well-known personalities to its new coaching staff. There is hope that former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh will take up the position of assistant coach. Furthermore, there are rumors that former captain Sourav Ganguly might become the head coach. Information has also emerged that former Indian spinner Amit Mishra may join this staff, potentially taking the role of spin bowling coach. Thus, Delhi Capitals is making major changes to its coaching staff ahead of the next IPL season.

The Delhi Capitals last made it into the IPL playoffs in the 2021 season, where they finished first in the table. Since then, the team has constantly tried to return to the playoffs but unsuccessfully. In the IPL 2026 season, Delhi Capitals secured seven wins in 14 matches, finishing in sixth place. Following this, the team management began making changes to both the coaching staff and the playing squad.

Meanwhile, following Rishabh Pant's return, speculations arose regarding the future of Kellu Lawla, who was previously a key wicketkeeper for Delhi Capitals. However, Delhi Capitals co-owner Partha Jindal refuted these assumptions in a social media post.

Former captain of the Indian national team, Mahesh Dhoni, continues to be a topic of discussion among fans. Various rumors surface regarding his participation before each IPL season. A young player representing Chennai has responded to the question of whether Mahesh Dhoni will play in IPL 2027.

The fast bowler from Chennai Super Kings, Akash Madhwal, believes that Dhoni will definitely be on the field in the next IPL season. Previously, Dhoni could not participate last season due to injuries: first, he had a calf strain, and then a thumb injury. However, very positive information has come from the CSK camp regarding his current physical condition.

Despite having long since retired from international cricket, Mahesh Dhoni continued to entertain fans through the IPL. When Dhoni steps onto the field with a bat in the IPL, there is a special enthusiasm among the fans.

In an interview with Sports Tak, Akash Madhwal noted that although the final decision to take the field rests with Dhoni himself, his physical condition indicates complete readiness. According to Akash, Dhoni has not missed a single training session since joining the CSK camp. He bats in the nets with 100% dedication and looks to be in excellent shape.

Akash added that they often stopped to watch how Dhoni batted in the nets. He emphasized that watching him in a real match is a completely different feeling. He is fully confident that he will play at 100% next season.

Speaking about Dhoni's character, Akash mentioned that he is very calm and always ready to help anyone. Any player on the team can approach him and talk. In Akash's opinion, Dhoni is very balanced. If someone has a problem or a question, he will sit next to them and calmly listen to the whole story, and then point out the right path. His presence in the dressing room fills the entire team with a special positive energy.

Furthermore, he highly praised the management of Chennai Super Kings, noting that the atmosphere there is very relaxed and easygoing. Players are not subjected to any unnecessary pressure; they just need to focus on giving their maximum in the match. Regarding statistics, MS Dhoni has played a total of 278 matches in the IPL, scoring 5439 runs with an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45. During this time, he has scored 24 half-centuries, the best of which was an unbeaten 84 runs.

The presence of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises in various T20 leagues worldwide is constantly growing, and now the Australian Big Bash League (BBL) could become a new avenue for them. Cricket Australia (CA) has approved the possibility of private investment in the BBL and the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL).

As a result of this decision, the Melbourne Renegades have become the first team to be sold to fully private owners. Although it has not been confirmed that any IPL franchise will bid to purchase the Melbourne Renegades, the CA's decision has paved the way for major global cricket groups to enter Australian T20 cricket.

Cricket Australia plans to invite bids for a 100% stake in the Melbourne Renegades. The new owner is expected to take over the management of the team starting from the 2027-28 BBL and WBBL seasons. Thus, this change will not affect the upcoming Australian summer season.

It is important to note that the Melbourne Renegades are not the only team that can transition to private investment. CA has approved this model, under which other BBL teams can also seek private funding. This means that the BBL model is gradually moving towards increasing the role of private investors in team ownership.

The question of whether IPL franchises will enter the BBL remains the most interesting aspect of this decision. There is currently no official confirmation of a purchase of Melbourne by any IPL franchise. Nevertheless, major IPL groups have expanded their presence in many T20 leagues globally in recent years, and the Australian market could be a natural next step for them.

Examples of international presence include: teams from the Mumbai Indians group play in SA20 (MI Cape Town), ILT20 (MI Emirates), Major League Cricket (MI New York), and The Hundred (MI London). The Kolkata Knight Riders group is represented through Trinbago Knight Riders, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, and Los Angeles Knight Riders. Chennai Super Kings have teams Joburg Super Kings and Texas Super Kings, while the Rajasthan Royals network extends to Pearl Royals and Barbados Royals. Sunrisers Hyderabad has Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Sunrisers Leeds, and the Lucknow Super Giants franchise is present as Durban Super Giants and Manchester Super Giants. The Delhi Capitals group has also expanded its international presence through Pretoria Capitals, Dubai Capitals, Seattle Orcas, and Southern Brave.

Thus, the privatization of the BBL could open another major market for these franchise groups.

Control Will Remain with Cricket Australia

It must be understood that the influx of private investment into the BBL does not mean a complete abandonment by Cricket Australia. CA will retain control over many key aspects of the event, including the international schedule, player availability, salary cap, and media rights. That is, an investor may become the owner of the team but will not have unlimited control over the entire BBL system.

The Chairman of Cricket Australia, Mike Behrde, stated that CA and its regional members are committed to strengthening the BBL and WBBL and promoting the interests of cricket at all levels. He noted that the goal of opening the door for private investment is to strengthen the long-term future of the league, accelerate growth, and continue to invest in grassroots cricket, youth sports, local and international development pathways, as well as elite cricket.

The investor also requires approval from CA. Cricket Australia reserves the right to approve or reject proposals from potential investors, as well as to set a reserve price. Furthermore, any changes to the name, color, or branding of the franchise will require approval from Cricket Australia.

Which BBL teams can receive private investment?

Melbourne is the first BBL team officially put up for sale for private ownership. It has also been reported that the Hobart Hurricanes, Perth Scorchers, and Melbourne Stars are open to private investment. However, the Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder, Brisbane Heat, and Adelaide Strikers are not pursuing this option. This implies that the BBL franchise model may follow different paths for different teams in the future.

Next Step for IPL in BBL?

It is premature to assert that any IPL franchise will necessarily buy a team in the BBL. However, Cricket Australia's decision has certainly opened the door for this. Since IPL franchise owners have already built their network in several major T20 leagues worldwide, if the sale of Melbourne is successful and other BBL teams also open up to private investment, the Australian league could become the next part of their global franchise network.