An eagerly anticipated meeting has been organized for July 31st between BCCI and IPL franchise organizers. Although the specific venue is not clear yet, the event is likely to occur at Cricket Centre, which is the head office of BCCI within the Wankhede Stadium compound in Mumbai.
On Thursday, July 25, Hemang Amin, who is also the CEO of IPL informed franchise owners through text messages that an official invitation would be sent out soon with details about the venue and timing. It’s guessed that he also mentioned during this conversation that the time of this meeting on July 31st would be in the late afternoon or evening hours. Reportedly, most owners of these teams have confirmed their attendance during the assembly time slot.
The meeting’s main focus will be on player retention policies. There are conflicting perspectives on the number of retentions allowed for each franchise. Some argue that because most franchises have been in existence for more than 17 years, continuity is critical, and therefore up to eight retentions should be permitted.
They say that to achieve successful fan engagement and brand growth, teams should be created around players who are considered vital to the franchise’s identity.
RTM option to be considered at the IPL owners meeting on July 31:
Cricbuzz claims that this eagerly anticipated conference will take place at the end of the month. The precise number of player retentions for each side is still up for debate. The quantity will probably be rather minimal. As was previously said, club owners provide a range of options, from one to eight retentions. The BCCI is anticipated to decide on a mean figure, perhaps five or six.
Retentions have been restricted since a larger number would make the auction less exciting. The best 80 players from throughout the globe and India would not be able to participate in the auction if every team could keep up to eight players, which would make the entire process dull.
There were no RTMs in the 2021 mega-auction:
There is a case to be made for eight retentions, mostly because teams require consistency when individuals who are recognized as key members of the squad are available. Conversely, the opposite viewpoint contends that keeping 5–6 players in the club is enough to preserve its core, which is crucial for its efforts to develop its image and brand. The auction will continue to be competitive thanks to this strategy.
The controversial Right to Match (RTM) option, on the other hand, is expected to be discussed during the meeting, even though the BCCI has probably already decided on it. In the mega-auction of 2021, there were no RTMs. The RTM option’s ability to allow players to be sold for their market worth is one of its benefits.
There are disagreements within the IPL franchise owners group over retentions and RTMs. The BCCI will need to carefully weigh these divergent opinions to reach a decision that will satisfy everyone.