In a strategic move to enhance team dynamics and bring an added layer of excitement to the competition, the International League T20 (ILT20) has announced a groundbreaking decision to permit franchises to include two wildcard players in their squads.
This initiative marks ILT20 as the third franchise league, following SA20 and The Hundred, to embrace the concept of wildcard players, injecting an element of unpredictability into team compositions.
While not mandatory, this rule allows teams to add wildcard players at any point during or before the season, providing flexibility in team management. The implementation is set to commence from the second season onward.
Additionally, ILT20 has informed franchises about the potential introduction of a super-sub rule, reminiscent of the impact player rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Franchises participating in ILT20 are now allowed to spend a maximum of US$ 250,000 on wildcard players through direct signings. With a purse of US 2.5 million to build a squad of 22 players, ILT20 teams have already finalized their squads for the upcoming 2024 season.
However, the league permits teams to add two more players as wildcards at any time, introducing an intriguing element of mid-season squad adjustments.
The ILT20 2nd edition is scheduled to kick off on January 19 and conclude on February 18 in the United Arab Emirates. In the event that franchises have already utilized their purse allocations, ILT20 officials have granted the flexibility for teams to use 10% of their purse to acquire wildcard players. Teams were formally notified of these developments this week, and as of now, no wildcard signings have taken place.
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