IPL retention to go live on TV

The build-up to the Indian Premier League (IPL) is always an interesting one considering the auctions that are always filled with hype, suspense and excitement followed by the appointment of support staff, the composition of the schedule and the allocation of games at venues.

Since the auction itself is going to be a much-awaited one considering it will involve a major overhaul and strategic retentions, a touch of hype, hoopla and razzmatazz, that are very typical of the IPL, will be added to the process. The deadline for each franchise to declare their retained players is January 4.

Players asked to turn up

The officials of the IPL teams have been asked to be present here on Thursday evening. As reported by Pune Mirror, efforts are also being made to see if a few ‘retained’ players can also turn up on the day and whole event will be telecast live on Star Sports, which has bagged the IPL broadcast rights.

Previously, the retention practice was done through formal e-mails from the franchises to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). But with a new broadcaster in place, the whole structure is being given a new makeover. The IPL is projected as the ‘toughest’ Twenty20 cricket league around the world.

“The idea is to send out a message that that the IPL is not just about money. A lot of effort is put in team-building and we want to start the IPL coverage through retention. The retained players form the core of the teams,” said Star official confirming the telecast plans.

As briefly reported by this paper yesterday, promotions of the programme have not yet started because technically, Sony were the holders of the rights till December 31. The mega-auction of the league’s 11th edition will be held in Bengaluru on January 27 and 28. This year’s auction will see teams having an increased budget of Rs 80 crore from previous Rs 66 crore. All five players can be retained by a franchise, which includes two Right to Match cards.