IPL 2020 Mid-Season Transfers - When will it start, what is the eligibility, which teams can use it?

The 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), underway in the United Arab Emirates, has reached the half-way mark of the league stage. The conventional round-robin format followed in the tournament witnesses all the franchises playing each other twice before the top four are locked for the next stage i.e. Playoffs.

The IPL authorities, in a bid to tighten the competition, have decided to bring in the concept of mid-season transfers akin to transfer windows in football leagues. With the tournament reaching into a decisive territory, the time for invoking the midway transfers has arrived.

Here is all you need to know about the what, how, and why about the mid-season transfers:

When do the mid-season transfers officially commence?

The transfer will be applicable only after the conclusion of half of the league stage i.e. when all franchises have played seven games each.

What is the vision and mission behind inculcating such a mechanism in the IPL?

As mentioned, the mid-season transfer window in IPL aims to prosper competitiveness amongst the participating teams. The players who have not been able to fire and create an impact in the first leg of the tournament may get a fresh start with a new franchise. This move also aims to will create more chances for those who have been warming the bench in their respective teams.

Are there any specific rules related to the mid-season transfer?

Yes. There should be mutual consent between the franchises while transferring the player(s). The same mechanism was available in the 2019 edition as well, where the franchises were allowed to exchange uncapped players. However, in 2020 both capped and uncapped players from India and abroad will be allowed to change teams midway during the season.

Also, only the players who have not featured in more than two games are eligible for the mid-season transfer window. Therefore, anyone who has played more than two matches cannot be transferred or loaned to another team.

Do the franchises need to pay extra to the player(s) post the mid-season transfers?

No. The price of the players in the IPL auction of 2020 or in the previous IPL auctions is what will be the price at which they can be acquired in this mid-season transfer.

Which players are eligible for the mid-season transfer?

Mumbai Indians (MI)- Aditya Tare, Anukul Roy, Mitchell McClenaghan, Chris Lynn, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohsin Khan, Digvijay Deshmukh, Prince Balwant Rai, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jayant Yadav, Sherfane Rutherford, Anmolpreet Singh

Chennai Super Kings (CSK)- KM Asif, Imran Tahir, Narayan Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Mitchell Santner, Monu Kumar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, R Sai Kishore, Josh Hazlewood

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)- Josh Philippe, Chris Morris, Dale Steyn, Shahbaz Ahmed, Pavan Deshpande, Adam Zampa, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Moeen Ali, Mohammed Siraj, Parthiv Patel, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)- Tom Banton, Nikhil Naik, Ali Khan, Prasidh Krishna, Rinku Singh, Sandeep Warrier, Siddhesh Lad, Chris Green, M Siddharth, Lockie Ferguson

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)- Shreevats Goswami, Siddharth Kaul, Wriddhiman Saha, Virat Singh, Bavanaka Sandeep, Fabien Allen, Sanjay Yadav, Basil Thampi, Billy Stanlake, Mohammad Nabi, Sandeep Sharma, Shahbaz Nadeem

Delhi Capitals (DC)- Ajinkya Rahane, Keemo Paul, Sandeep Lamicchane, Alex Carey, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ishant Sharma, Lalit Yadav, Daniel Sams, Tushar Deshpande, Mohit Sharma.

Rajasthan Royals (RR)- Varun Aaron, Kartik Tyagi, Oshane Thomas, Aniruddha Joshi, Andrew Tye, Akash Singh, Anuj Rawat, Mayank Markande, Ankit Rajpoot, Manan Vohra, Mahipal Lomroor, Shashank Singh, David Miller

Kings XI Punjab- Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Murugan Ashwin, Deepak Hooda, Ishan Porel, Simran Singh, Tajinder Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Darshan Nalkhande, Krishnappa Gowtham, Hardus Viljoen, Chris Gayle, Harpreet Brar, Jagadeesha Suchith, Mandeep Singh