BCCI postpones meeting with franchises concerning 2025 mega auction

The much-anticipated meeting of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners has been postponed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The meeting, which was scheduled for April 16 in Ahmedabad, was set to discuss various aspects of the league's future, including the key issue of player retention ahead of the mega auctions for the eighteenth edition.

The BCCI had invited all 10 IPL franchise owners to this meeting to think about the number of player retentions to be permitted and the size of the player purse going forward. There has been talk of increasing the number of retentions from the current limit of four, as well as substantially increasing the player purse from the existing cap of ₹100 crore.

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It seems that the meeting has now been postponed due to a change in the IPL schedule. The BCCI has informed franchise owners that a new date for the meeting has not yet been set. This delay comes as certain franchises have been taking a strong position against increasing the number of player retentions.

Board mulling over RTM options

One school of thought is that the retention limit should not be more than one player, and franchises should instead be allowed more Right to Match (RTM) options. The argument is that this method would be more transparent and based on market value, as opposed to potential surrogate or covert payments to players under an expanded retention system.

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The RTM option would allow franchisees to acquire their existing players at the price determined during the auction. However, this approach also has its drawbacks, as there is a risk of franchises artificially inflating a player's bidding price, forcing the interested team to shell out more money.

As the BCCI ponders the way forward, the debate around player retention versus RTM options continues to gather steam. While the board has not explicitly stated its stance, it is clear that finding the right balance will be crucial in shaping the future of the IPL and ensuring a level playing field for all franchises.