The IPL 2025 season is all here, and the beginning is also very packed with thrilling
matches. But how is it possible that it goes smoothly without any controversy or
debates? So it is happening this time also. At the beginning of the new season, the first
debate started with KL Rahul’s absence from the first match of DC.
KL Rahul was expected to play for DC against LSG on March 24 but something
happened and then he was granted “special permission” to skip the match.
And within a few hours of the match, the news popped out that he and his wife Athiya
Shetty had been blessed with a baby girl! Now this is a piece of heartwarming news for
everyone, especially for his fans but it also raised several questions in people’s minds
whether IPL is becoming too lenient with the star players or would every cricketer gets
the same chances and treatment or is it only a privilege for special and big names
player.
Do All Players Get This Privilege?
The debate was initiated when a few fans observed and analysed and then pointed out
that even in the past, a few players left IPL mid-season for their reasons without any
kind of “special permission” being oƯicially announced and then this got ablaze among
everyone and raised several questions such as-
1. As famous players are getting mid-match leaf uncapped or less popular players will
also get this privilege or is there any kind of discrimination?
2. What are the oƯicial rules declared by IPL for personal absence what reasons come
under such kind of absence?
3. Why was KL Rahul given “special permission” and why earlier no one even heard about this type of permission in any match?
Some Past Controversies Over Player Absences.
If talking about such mid-season absence then KL Rahul’s case is not the first time,
similar thing has also occurred earlier but with diƯerent players, this isn’t the first time
IPL’s handling of players’ absence has been questioned.
Some past instances to look at are-
1. Virat Kohli-2021: Kohli also left IPL 2021 mid-way but without any announcement or
any kind of “special permission”.
2. MS Dhoni-2019: Thala played even when he was injured instead of taking leave, while
some other players were replaced when injured
3. Ravindra Jadeja-2022: Jadeja also left CSK mid-season but without any oƯicial
relaxation
Is IPL becoming too lenient?
While talking about Rahul’s reason for sudden absence from the mid-season of IPL is
valid the point that made headlines was the way of announcement IPL adopted that is
“special permission” This term raised concerns among all the fans and they started
framing this as if such exceptions are made only for top players, It could create
unfairness among teams and players and therefore according to fans IPL needs to frame
clear rules for personal leaves so that it can show total equality among all-star or not a
star cricketer and avoid parcellate issue in such big tournament.
Final Thoughts
KL Rahul’s absence is for a beautiful reason and even fans are happy for him, but IPL’s
way of presenting his absence and using the term “special permission “can raise several
concerns not in present but surely in the upcoming future and can be valid point for
creating fuelling controversies. And will also raise a topic that should every player get
the same privilege?
What do you think? Let us know in the comment was these kind of absence and
permission is fair or is IPL becoming too soft for big names?
