BCCI suggests increasing IPL player retentions before mega auction: Report

With the Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction to take place this year, discussions on that front have already begun between key stakeholders such as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and franchise owners. The board has reportedly invited all team owners for an informal discussion in Ahmedabad next week. One of the agendas for that meeting is player retention policy and mandate.

As per a report, BCCI have floated the idea of increasing the number of player retentions for each team.

“Things are at a very nascent stage. The board is seeking recommendations to carry the league forward. Player-retention is a major factor in that. Going by the informal discussions, majority of the franchises are in favour of having a provision where they can retain about eight players before the auction,” a BCCI source told TOI .

“Some feel that it doesn’t make sense if the core of the team is broken so frequently. Franchises have identified that there should be a scope to retain the larger part of the core team. There are a couple of objections to this suggestion. Nothing specific has been discussed about the RTM or cap on overseas retentions,” the source added as per the report.

In the previous mega auction, teams were allowed to retain four players and one player could be brought back using the Right to Match (RTM) card. The RTM card offered the franchises an opportunity to match another franchise’s bid on a player they owned previously but had released. In total, each franchise could retain five players, including a maximum of two overseas ones.

The report further says franchises want the BCCI to increase the salary cap to Rs 100 crore from the current Rs 90 crore following heftier media rights deal.