The Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners have made a series of significant suggestions related to conducting a mega auction every five years, and player retention options, ahead of their meeting with the BCCI. The much-awaited meeting is most likely to be held next week, although the date is yet to be finalised.
Among the suggestions, the most important one was regarding the conduct of a mega auction only once in five years instead of the present three-year circle. According to a few franchise officials, the five-year gap is beneficial from a team’s perspective as it allows the teams to form the core group and continue it for a longer period even as another argued that it won’t be always beneficial from a players’ angle, as uncapped players bank on their IPL performances to get into the national team, and their demands could soar within that time frame.
Another argument put forward by a member of an IPL franchise, that has been around since the inception of the IPL in 2008, is that some of the franchises groom these youngsters and by the time they become match-winners they are roped in by rival franchises. The risk factor could be cut as the franchises wouldn’t mind investing in the younger talents and nurture them.
The IPL had four-year cycles between mega auctions twice in the last decade, first in 2018 after 2014, when Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals returned after a two-year suspension and the second one during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the 2021 mega auction was postponed by a year.
Allow teams to retain between four and six players
Brand building, having the core team intact are some of the arguments put forward by the franchises advocating for five to six retentions. There are also teams who are in favour of even a greater number to ensure continuity in the side, and have their loyal fan base intact. However, there’s a section who would come up with a counter-argument, that the more number of players retained renders the idea of conducting a mega auction as useless.
While most teams are in favour of retaining unto six players, something which they feel could help in ensuring that the mega auction remains competitive. In an instance where all 10 teams are allowed to retain eight players, the number goes up to 80, which means most of the top players aren’t available for the trade, and the teams can only bid for the fillers.
Another IPL team official was of the view that the change of jerseys for star players could also help in keeping the excitement level among fans intact. There was also another thought floating that the Right-to-match (RTM) option and the retention could be combined, a method used in the 2018 mega auction, when a maximum of five players could be retained by each team. Of the five, a maximum of three players could be retained before the auction, and up to three could be bought back by a team through RTM options during the auction. In case the franchise didn’t retain any player, it would still have three RTM options to buy back their player in the auction by matching the price once bidding for the player is over.
In the 2022 mega auctions, when Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Kings made their debut, the rest eight teams were allowed to retain four players in two different combinations — three Indians and one overseas, or two Indians and two overseas. The RTM option was also not available as the BCCI wanted to ensure the two new franchises got a fair chance to pick their players from a wider pool.
Impact player rule
Besides the other points, the franchises are also expected to discuss the Impact Player rule with the BCCI during the meeting. The Impact Player rule has received mixed reactions from star players. India captain Rohit Sharma had maintained that the rule hampered the growth of all-rounders in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in 2024. The purse for the 2025 auction could also be discussed during the meeting.