BCCI Discusses Retention Rules for IPL 2025 Season
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently convened a meeting with the owners of the ten IPL franchises to deliberate on various retention policies for the upcoming 2025 season. This meeting, held on Wednesday, addressed a crucial question: “Should a cricketer, who has been retired for five years, be considered on par with an uncapped player at IPL auctions?”
Controversy Over Retired Players’ Status
During the discussion, several franchises opposed the suggestion of treating retired players as uncapped. According to ESPNcricinfo, Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran argued against this idea. Maran proposed that players could be retained through a straightforward retention process, a combination of retention and Right to Match (RTM) cards, or exclusively via RTM cards. She expressed concerns that paying an uncapped player more than a former international cricketer retained as an uncapped player would set a ‘wrong precedent.’ Maran suggested that such players should enter the auction to let the market determine their value.
Proposals from Franchises
The IPL 2024 winner, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), proposed that eight players should be retained exclusively via the RTM method, as reported by ANI. Meanwhile, the co-owner of Delhi Capitals expressed surprise that some franchises were against the mega auction.
Agreement on Base Prices for Non-International Players
Despite differing views, franchises unanimously agreed that Indian players who had not played international cricket for five years should be allowed to lower their base prices at the auction. Currently, the lowest base price for capped Indian players is ₹50 lakh. This suggestion, put forth by IPL Chief Operating Officer Hemang Amin, was aimed at increasing these players’ chances of being bought at the auction.
Uncapped Player Retentions
Regarding uncapped player retentions, IPL franchises were previously allowed to retain a maximum of two uncapped Indians ahead of the 2022 mega auction. The two new teams, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, were allowed to retain one uncapped player each. Franchises debated whether to continue this policy or make adjustments for the upcoming season.
This meeting highlighted the complexities of player retention policies and the need for balanced solutions that benefit both franchises and players in the IPL.(online casino)