The meeting between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and owners of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises is set to take place in Mumbai on July 31. The much-awaited meet is likely to witness discussions and deliberations on crucial matters but the Auction Purse will attract a lot of attention.
Currently at Rs 100 crore for every team, there is a bright possibility of it getting a raise which could result in change in strategies – of both players and franchise owners.
There are plenty of murmurs of marquee players moving bases ahead of the 2025 edition but if the Auction Purse gets a raise, the possibility of more and more players, even the established names, entering the auctions can’t be ruled out.
The Auction Purse could well be the only agenda of Wednesday’s meet where most voices are likely to be on the same page as the house remains divided on matters like Impact Player and Retention rules.
Still early days but the Impact Player rule faced widespread criticism during 2024 edition of the IPL. From senior cricketers to established coaches, all didn’t seem in favour of the rule which certainly made the game more entertaining for spectators and viewers but impacted player development.
“Yes, the good all-rounders – Axar, Jadeja and others – continued to find a way in the XI but more options meant someone like Washington Sundar hardly played in 2024. So overall development of players like Washington Sundar was certainly impacted but at the same time, coaches had more options to play with.
Like beefing up batting or strengthen bowling as per the game requirement. Whatever was happening, the spectators and viewers weren’t complaining because the match wasn’t over even when it was 50/4 or 200/3,” says a franchise official.
The BCCI will be hearing views of different owners on Wednesday but the senior officials of the board also feel it is benefitting Indian players as the teams can now play an extra batter/bowler. It has resulted in plenty of high-scoring games this year and surely the broadcasters didn’t mind the ball sailing into the stands on a consistent basis.
Is five going to be the magic number?
The biggest talking point of the meeting, however, is set to be the retention rule where the Indian cricket board, after discussions with the franchise owners, will finalise how many players a team can retain ahead of the mega auction. In addition to that, Right to Match (RTM) option will also be explored by all parties.
It is another agenda where the house is very divided as all teams have their own wish list. The ones who have tasted success in last few years are pushing for more retentions while the struggling lots are happy to press the reset button. There are sides who have nurtured players for the last 4-5 years and are understandably keen on an arrangement which allows them to hold on to the talent they spotted and groomed.
The Indian cricket board needs to find the magic number which suits all franchises and it could well be five. A senior franchise official, who has been part of multiple IPL teams, feels five is the way forward as it allows both continuity and freshness.
“The chatter will not stop because every team is in a different position before the 2025 season. Naturally, the ones who have done well want more and more retentions. But retentions undervalue the auction. And auction is an important part of the IPL ecosystem. In years to come, when the fan bases are well and truly cemented for all sides, it could well be a very transfer dominated ecosystem but as of now, auctions are important.
It will be difficult for even the BCCI to find that formula which works for every team but I have a strong feeling it could be five. Now how they do it is their call. I mean how they include RTM or retention or overseas player… five looks a decent number and should keep most teams happy,” says a veteran IPL team official.
With the house divided on key agendas, it will be interesting to see how the Indian cricket board manages to keep the franchise owners on the same page.
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