Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises have reportedly asked for a bigger gap in mega auctions and more Right to Match (RTM) options during the auction.
All ten IPL franchises are gearing up for a grand auction ahead of next year’s season. As of now, there is little clarity regarding the retention of players. Things will become clearer once the franchise officials meet the IPL officials. According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the meeting is likely to take place next week, though a date has not been finalised yet.
Ahead of the meeting, the IPL franchises shared some suggestions regarding auction and player retention during a feedback session. The first suggestion is that there should be a gap of more than 3 years between mega auctions. The franchisees want the mega auctions to be held after a gap of 5 years, the outlet said.
Franchises believe such a move would help teams build continuity by developing young players, especially Indians who have not played in the league. Several franchises, especially those that have been playing since the inaugural season in 2008, have set up academies to discover talented players at the grassroots level and develop them.
Franchises believe that a mega auction every five years would motivate teams to continue their efforts. There is also a view that having a longer interval between mega auctions will also help teams build a loyal fan base.
While the mega auction is usually held after three years, it was held after four years on two occasions. The first time was in 2018 when Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals returned after a two-year suspension. Later in 2021, the pandemic forced the IPL to postpone the mega auction by a year.
More RTM options during IPL auction:
Another demand from the IPL franchises is to have more RTM options during the auction that will help them have an edge in re-signing any of their former players. RTM options allow players to participate in the auction and the franchises have the opportunity to buy them back by matching the highest bid.
The report said that one of the CEOs of the IPL franchises said that teams could be allowed to retain one key player and the rest could be done through RTM. Another franchise official believes that such a move could also cause discontent among the retained players.
One franchise has also proposed not retaining its players and up to eight RTM options. According to the report, the proposal has received mixed responses from other franchises. While some franchises agree that it would create a level playing field, others do not want to put some of the best players in the auction pool.
There are also concerns that the franchises may increase the prices of big players to disrupt the strategy of other teams during the auction. Things will become clearer once the meeting between the IPL officials and the franchises takes place in the coming days.
