IPL 2024 was the final season in the three-year cycle decided by the tournament organisers and it means that the next season will see a mega-auction.
The franchises will be allowed to retain a limited number of players with a majority of them going under the hammer in a near-complete overhaul. However, there was some chatter over the retention rules with speculations over big changes to the auction rules. A report by News18 has claimed that the BCCI is looking to stay with four retentions per team or three retentions and one Right To Match (RTM) card for the franchises. The report claimed that the increase in retention slots did not find much support from the franchises.
“Increasing retentions to say 6 or eight and then also having RTMs will make auctions a useless exercise. Auctions have added to the beauty of the IPL and giving it lesser importance will not help in keeping the league in good health,” a veteran team official told News18.
When it comes to the fans, they were split over the retention rules on social media and reports claimed that some franchises raised the concern of not having a loyal fan base due the change in rosters. The official said that the league may move towards a draft system but the auction remains and integral part.
“Yes, that’s a concern for a lot of teams but we can’t compare fan bases in IPL to fan bases of EPL clubs. It’s still too early for that to happen in the IPL. That is why it has happened to only handful of teams in the IPL. It will take time. And if there is desperation to make that happen, get rid of the auction and introduce a draft. Let there be a transfer system. Again, auctions bring a flavour to the IPL,” adds the official.
