BCCI considering changes in the IPL retention rule: Reports

BCCI considering changes in the IPL retention rule: Reports: According to recent media reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mulling over the idea of changing the retention rules for the tenth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2017. This would probably mean that all the players from all the teams would go under the hammer at the auction. As per the original agreement between the BCCI and the teams in 2008, all players were supposed to be auctioned after every three years. However this rule was changed back in 2011 in favour of the retention rule which allowed the teams to retain 4 players from its original squad, 3 among whom had to be Indians. The franchises had signed a revised three year contract back in 2014 which allowed them to retain 5 players and additionally had a ‘right to match’ card which allowed them to match the bid for any of their squad member auctioned.

Majority of the IPL teams want the player retention rule changed for IPL 10 in 2017. As they wish to get all players to go back in the auction pool and at the same time they also want to have the 5 Right to match cards, so as to allow them to match the price of any 5 players that they wish to hold on to. The reason behind this move is believed to be players’ tantrums over their salaries. The franchises need not negotiate with the players at all and can buy back any player they want directly at the auction and thus avoid any malpractice of paying them under the table.

If this proposal is accepted and the rules are changed, icon players like AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Lasith Malinga, Sunil Narine, etc. will all be available at the auctions. The BCCI may be keen for changing the rule to make the competition more competitive and ensure that all teams are on a level playing field. The new Board regime is keen to balance out the teams and thus make the league more exciting.

However there are some franchises who have strongly opposed this rule change and they want to continue with the existing rule of being given an option to retain of 5 players.  Some teams want to retain even more players so as to improve the harmony in the team and maintain stability. There was another rule change proposal in the pipeline in 2014 which was scrapped after severe protests from many teams. It suggested that the teams can retain up to 8 players (5 Indians and 3 Overseas), however this change was never implemented. The current proposal is still at a very early stage but if it goes through the IPL will surely see the loyalties and priorities turn and realize into something more exciting and challenging from 2017 onwards.