Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals is all set to offer a lucrative multi-year contract to England's limited over skipper Jos Buttler, British newspaper 'Telegraph' reported on Thursday. With most of the IPL franchises owning part or full stakes in various private T20 leagues, there is an imminent threat to game's current structure with fears that a lot of top international players might forego their central contracts to sign football club-like deal with a singular club (franchise) to appear in various tournaments.
According to 'The Telegraph', RR is trying to tie Buttler down to longer-term deal but the offer is yet to be formally tabled and it is also not clear if the cricketer will sign the deal. "England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler is set to be offered a landmark four-year deal by his Indian premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals," the report said. "It is understood that the offer to Buttler is yet to be formally tabled, and its unclear whether the T20 World Cup winning captain intends to accept the deal." It is a multi-million-pound deal though the exact amount is unknown.
Buttler has proved to be a run-machine for RR, having scored five tons and 18 half-centuries in 71 matches since joining them in 2018. Buttler also plays for Paarl Royals, which is also owned by Rajasthan Royals, in the SA20. RR also own Barbados Royals in Caribbean Premier League.
The proliferation of T20 league has impacted international cricket with franchises offering long-term contracts to top players. In the past months, there have been talks of five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians offering a multi-year contract to England star pacer Jofra Archer, who could play just 5 games for them due to injuries since being bought for Rs 8 Crore in 2022 auction.
If a player signs a long-term contract, then the international cricket boards, in future, might need to seek permission from the private franchises to get their services for national duty.
First Published: Jun 29, 2023 12:07 PM IST
