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After the conclusion of IPL 2024, a report has surfaced about the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) eyeing the existing 3 + 1 retention rule for the upcoming Mega Auction for the 2025 season of the tournament. Unlike other major sporting leagues, the IPL functions with a three-year cycle at the end of which teams can technically retain four players and release the others into the auction.
The process was brought in to ensure parity in the league and continue generating more interest towards the auction. But during the 2024 season several reports about a IPL owners meeting being scheduled for discussion on the retention procedure which was eventually cancelled. Around that meeting, rumours about teams pushing for more retentions also made the rounds to value their investment in scouting and developing talent over the three-year period.
BCCI set to 'not shut the door' on 3 + 1 rule for Mega Auction
But now after the completion of the 2024 season, News18 reported that BCCI has "not shut the door on the existing 3+1 rule. There are plenty of backers of the existing three retentions and one Right to Match (RTM) card arrangement and not every franchise is in favour of sudden increase in retentions and RTMs."
Auctions have added to the beauty of the IPL: Team official
The report also quoted a senior official in a IPL franchise who stated that only a few franchises can retain 6-8 players and not every one. The official said, “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,” says a veteran team official.
