BCCI vs IPL Franchise: 8 retentions rejected, RTM not certain!! Meeting called up on 31st July

The meeting between the BCCI and the IPL franchises is reportedly set to take place on July 31. The officials and the franchises will be meeting to finalize the rules for the upcoming mega auction ahead of the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025).

All eyes are on the meeting as the franchises will get a clear picture regarding the player retentions and Right-to-Match (RTM) options. As of now, there is little clarity over how many players the franchises can retain or buy back during the auction. A recent report suggested that the franchises recently revealed their suggestions to the BCCI officials during a feedback session.

Things will become clear once the meeting takes place at the end of this month. According to a report in Cricbuzz, the exact venue for the meeting has not been confirmed but it is expected to take place at the Cricket Centre, the BCCI headquarters, located within the Wankhede Stadium complex in Mumbai.

IPL CEO Hemang Amin informed the franchise owners through text messages on Thursday (July 25) and also told them that a formal invite with the venue and the timing for the meeting would be sent to them soon. The report stated that all the IPL franchise owners have confirmed their availability for the crucial meeting.

Player retention and RTM option in focus during IPL meeting:

At present, the exact number of player retentions per team is still speculative. The report stated that the number is expected to be relatively low. During the feedback sessions, the franchises came up with different numbers for player retention, with their choices varying between one and eight. The BCCI, however, is likely to take a middle path and is expected to allow a maximum of 5-6 players to be retained.

The BCCI does not want the retention number on the higher side because it could diminish the excitement of the auction. In case, the franchises get to retain as many as 80 players, the top 80 players around the world would not be available during the auction. As a result, the auction could lose its charm even before it takes place.

As far as the RTM option is concerned, it is still a contentious issue and a debate is likely at the meeting, the news outlet stated. It also reported that the BCCI might have already decided on the matter.

There were no RTMs in the 2021 mega-auction and the BCCI will now have to come up with a proposal that finds support from all the franchises. Several franchises have called for more RTMs in the mega auction and it is now up to the BCCI to take the final call.