The fate of as many as 200 Indian footballers’ fates will be decided on Sunday as the ISL Draft takes place in Mumbai for the upcoming footballing season.
This season, there are two new entrants a Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC a besides the eight existing teams.
Regulations for the 2017a18 Indian Super League season allow for each club to have a minimum of 15 Indian players and a maximum of 18, which include two mandatory under-21 players. Prior to the draft, each club was allowed to retain a maximum of two senior players from the previous season (2016a17 I-League for Bengaluru FC) as well as retaining up to three under-21 players.
The ISL Draft Process
The draft will have a total of 15 rounds. New expansion side, Jamshedpur FC, will have the first pick in both the first and second rounds. Them and Delhi Dynamos, who didn’t retain a single player from the previous season, will be the only sides who participate in the first round of the draft. The order for which each team will participate in the draft will be determined on Saturday, 22 July 2017. Clubs will also have the option to use an “Instant Trading Card” during the draft which allows them to trade a picked player to another club.
ISL draft will last 15 rounds. The sequence for selection of player draft rounds for each club will be determined by a draw of lots on Saturday.
FC Pune City who have retained only one senior player will join the above two in the second round. The rest of the six clubs, except Chennaiyin FC will join the player draft from the third round. Chennaiyin FC, who retained two senior players besides AJerry Lalrinzuala, a capped Indian player falling under the U21 category; will be the only club to join the player draft from fourth round.
The salary cap for each team (both Indian and foreign players) is set at Rs 18 crores and only a maximum of Rs 12.5 crores to sign overseas players. So, each team gets a minimum of Rs 5.5 crore to buy Indian players.
The ISL Draft will be held at the St.Regis Hotel in Lower Parel from 9:30 am to 5 pm.
