Reports: BCCI to finalize 5-6 retentions for IPL 2025, RTM option to be discussed on July 31

BCCI officials and IPL owners will have a meeting on July 31 to finalise the planning for IPL 2025. Various franchises have put forward their way of thinking regarding the use of retention and RTM ahead of the mega auction but in the meeting, a common ground is expected to be reached. As things stand, BCCI is likely to allow each franchise to retain five to six players while the rule regarding RTM cards will be discussed in the meeting at BCCI’s headquarters in Wankhede Stadium.

As per Cricbuzz, a lot of team owners proposed BCCI to allow them to retain eight players before the mega auction. However, the officials weren’t impressed with that as it would mean 80 top players from India and around the globe would miss the auction, which would make it a lackluster affair. Before the 2022 mega auction, all the franchises were allowed to retain only our players, and keeping the effort each team put into developing every player, they are expected to increase the number by one or two.

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Meanwhile, the usage of RTM cards remains a hot topic. BCCI discarded them in 2022 as the idea was to sell players at their market price. It has been seen that some franchises intentionally inflate the prices, forcing other teams to use more budget, something that the BCCI officials didn’t like, and eventually dismissed. It needs to be seen if they reintroduce it in 2024. 

On the other hand, the budget of each team is likely to increase as well. Last year, Australian duo Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins were sold for INR 24.75 crore and INR 20.50 crore, respectively - making them the costliest players in the history of the tournament. Understanding the upward movement of cash flow, BCCI is planning to increase its budget to somewhere between INR 120-130 crore next season. It is also something that will be discussed in the meeting on July 31.