IPL Teams May Retain 5 Players: Impact on Franchise Value and Core Group Stability
BCCI May Allow IPL Teams to Retain 5 Players Before Mega Auction
The BCCI is considering allowing IPL franchises to retain up to 5 players ahead of the upcoming mega auction, expected to take place later this year. The board is likely to scrap the Right to Match (RTM) option, focusing instead on enabling teams to maintain their brand value by retaining a solid core group of players. However, it’s unclear how many of these 5 players can be domestic or foreign.
Teams Push for 5-6 Retentions
During a recent meeting with the board, most IPL franchises expressed interest in retaining 5-6 key players. BCCI seems to be leaning towards this proposal, which would allow teams to maintain their competitive edge and brand value. The mega auction could happen towards the end of this year, following these discussions.
Impact of Allowing 5 Retentions
- Boost in Brand Value: Allowing 5 retentions will likely enhance the brand value of all IPL franchises.
- Core Group Stability: Teams will be able to retain their core group of players, giving Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings a distinct advantage.
- MS Dhoni’s Return: This rule may allow MS Dhoni to continue playing in the next IPL season for Chennai Super Kings.
- Mumbai’s Core Players: Mumbai Indians are poised to benefit the most, as they could retain key players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya.
Chennai and Rajasthan Also Stand to Gain
Chennai Super Kings may retain their vital players, including Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni. Similarly, Rajasthan Royals could hold onto big names like Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Yuzvendra Chahal, with flexibility in retaining foreign players.
Current Retention Rules
As per the current rules, each franchise can retain a maximum of 4 players, and one player can be added using the Right to Match (RTM) card. This effectively allows teams to keep 5 players, with a restriction of retaining no more than 2 overseas players. In 2021, BCCI had limited retentions to 4 players per team.
