IPL likely to allow five retentions with one RTM card for upcoming mega auction: Report

There have been reports of the BCCI allowing Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to retain up to five players ahead of this year’s mega auction.

However, according to ESPNCricinfo, the board will also be allowing teams the opportunity to retain a sixth player from their existing squad via the Right To Match (RTM) card.

The RTM card allows teams to buy back players released into the auction pool by paying the top bid attracted by a player in the auction, with the funds going into the purse of the franchise that made the final bid.

The BCCI, however, is yet to make a formal announcement on the player retention rules ahead of the mega auction, which will be the second to take place inside three years.

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The report, however, states that the BCCI will most likely stick to the option of five retentions and one RTM card for the 10 franchises.

The board is also yet to decide on what the composition of the five retained players should be — the maximum number of Indian players and whether there will be a cap on the number of overseas retentions.

It also remains to be seen what the retention slabs will be like, and what the overall purse will be for the franchise — which the report estimates at Rs 115-120 crore.

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If approved, the 5+1 retention model will result in the highest number of retentions in the tournament’s history.

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The league had allowed franchises up to five retentions ahead of the mega auction for the 2018 edition, with a maximum of three RTM cards.

The BCCI had previously conducted a meeting with the 10 franchises at its Mumbai headquarters on 31 July, and had initially told the team owners and representatives that the retention rules would be ready by August.

The IPL Governing Council was to meet in Bengaluru over the weekend ahead of the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting on Sunday, meaning a formal announcement on the rules should be announced anytime now.