BCCI's Plan to Keep Indian Players Engaged with Red-Ball Cricket During IPL 2025

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is contemplating a strategy to keep players engaged with red-ball cricket throughout the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. This is before India's five-Test series in England in June-July, following the IPL. The scheme might involve players showing up at "occasional red-ball practice sessions" or other bizarre pursuits of some players.

🚨 RED BALL PRACTICE DURING IPL 🚨

- BCCI is working on a strategy to ensure players remain in touch with Test cricket ahead of England tour, it is likely that players might be ask for occasional practice with red ball during IPL. [Cricbuzz] pic.twitter.com/qil9BUrUwG

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 25, 2025

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The BCCI plans to not let the players lose touch with Test cricket during the two-month-long IPL tournament, to be held between March 22 and May 25.
The very specifics of the plan have yet to be known.
However, preliminary discussions of this twin-track approach have already been made by prominent players from the Indian team management and BCCI planners in Dubai.
The BCCI's decision to keep players engaged with red-ball cricket during the IPL season is in response to India's recent Test performance.
The team has not won a single Test series in England recently. The trend features a 4-0 loss in 2011, a 3-1 loss in 2014, and a 4-1 loss in 2018.
India earned their first away Test series draw in England (2-2 in 2021). It was split due to COVID-19, with the last Test won by England a year later.