The IPL 2025 mega auction is still several months away, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already started preparing for the retention process. IPL franchises have requested an increase in the number of players they can retain for the next three seasons. Different teams have varying opinions on how many players should be retained, with some suggesting that no players should be retained at all. It’s worth noting that in 2021, BCCI allowed a maximum of four players to be retained.
According to a Cricbuzz report, BCCI has begun finalizing the retention policy. The final decision is expected to be announced at a meeting of franchise owners later this month. Recently, BCCI’s acting CEO and IPL in-charge Hemang Amin consulted with franchise CEOs to gather their views on the policy and salary cap for the next three years. The mega auction is scheduled to take place at the end of this year. Opinions were also sought regarding the Right to Match (RTM) card, which was not used in 2021.
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Most franchises have requested to retain between five to seven players, with one franchise even suggesting eight. Some teams believe that no retention should be allowed and only RTM should be permitted. BCCI has stated that they will reveal their decisions at the owners’ meeting. The RTM card allows franchises to buy back their players during the auction if they are not retained.
There could be a significant increase in the franchises’ purse. CEOs have been consulted on this matter, and various opinions have emerged. The prevalent opinion is that the purse limit could be between 110-120 crore INR, although an increase of 20 crore INR is not ruled out. Currently, the limit is 100 crore INR. Additionally, discussions were held on cricket matters, particularly the Impact Player rule. Media rights holders are satisfied with it, but feedback from coaching staff has been less favorable. For now, the Impact Player rule is expected to remain in place.
