BCCI leaning towards a middle ground, looks at three options for IPL retention

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The Indian cricket board (BCCI) is in the process of finalising the IPL retention rules before the December auction, with the goal of allowing franchises to retain their key players while maintaining a competitive balance across teams. According to sources, the board is considering several options for the retention of players and the use of Right to Match (RTM) cards.

Three options are being discussed. First one is about three retentions and two RTMs, while the second option is about three retentions and three RTM while the last formula is about four retentions and two RTMs, which seems to be the most likely option. This formula would enable teams to hold on to a core group of players while also allowing some flexibility for other teams to bid on key players, with the potential for franchises to match offers and retain certain players using RTM cards.

The final decision is expected to be announced soon, and this approach will likely have significant implications for the makeup of teams, especially for franchises like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, which have a strong pool of players they would want to retain.

Some of the other teams like Kolkata Knight Riders, Hyderabad Sunrisers and Rajasthan Royals are among the five teams who are batting for more retentions while teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore, Lucknow Supergiants, and Gujarat Titans have less players to retain. Teams like Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals are okay with lesser number of retentions as they look to make the most of the auction.

There’s a growing debate within the BCCI regarding the upcoming IPL auction format. Powerful franchises, particularly the more successful ones, are pushing for a mini auction instead of a mega auction. Their reasoning likely stems from a desire to retain the core of their squads, given that a mega auction would force them to rebuild from scratch. However, some BCCI officials still favor the mega auction, which would promote greater parity by redistributing talent across all teams.

To find a middle ground, it appears that the board is leaning toward a format that sits between a full-scale mega auction and a mini auction. Including the RTM cards in this compromise could make the auction more impactful than a typical mini auction, allowing teams to match bids on certain key players and retain them. This hybrid approach would give franchises the opportunity to hold on to their star players while still allowing a shake-up in the team compositions, keeping the auction process competitive without the complete upheaval of a mega auction.