LONDON, April 18: Mark Ramprakash has turned down an offer to join the Indian Premier League (IPL), a media report says.

According to The Times, Ramprakash, whose contract with Surrey concludes at the end of the 2009 season, was contacted by the Rajasthan Royals to plug a two-week gap left by the late arrival of South African captain Graeme Smith.

However, the move was declined after discussion with the county officials. “There are bound to be other approaches and not just to Mark,” Surrey’s Chief Executive Paul Sheldon said.

“We are looking at the possibility of 12-month contracts but we don’t want to prevent any of our players from extending their earnings out of season provided that offers come from officially sanctioned leagues and the dates do not conflict with commitments to Surrey.

“We have to be open-minded. We are hoping that the IPL might take place in future in March or October, in which case the opportunities would obviously increase,” Sheldon added.

—Agencies