New Delhi: Before the next mega auction of IPL, franchises may face a big challenge in retaining players. According to reports, some big players of the league have demanded up to Rs 40 crore for retention from their current teams. If the players persist in their demand, it may be necessary for the teams to change their squad preparation strategy.
Which players demanded Rs 40 crore?
According to a Cricbuzz report, at least two big players have made it clear to their respective franchises that they will be ready for retention deals only if they get Rs 40 crore. It is believed that some other big players may also make similar demands. In one of these cases, the role of captaincy is also being linked to this amount.
Earlier, before the mega auction of IPL 2025, Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant had decided to enter the auction instead of retaining with their old teams. Iyer got Rs 26.75 crore and Pant got Rs 27 crore in the auction.
Can the purse of teams increase in IPL 2028?
Currently, the purse for franchises for IPL 2027 is Rs 130 crore. At the same time, it is expected to be increased to around Rs 150 crore by the next auction cycle. However, there has been no formal discussion on this proposal yet. If a player has to pay Rs 40 crore, it will be more than 25 percent of the possible purse of Rs 150 crore. In such a situation, it may be difficult for the franchises to retain the remaining players in the team.
Can retention rules also increase problems?
In the last mega auction, BCCI had fixed slabs of Rs 18 crore, Rs 14 crore and Rs 11 crore for retention. However, the franchises could have paid more money to the players, but they would have had to face a cut in the purse as per the actual payment. At least Rs 75 crore was deducted from the teams’ purse by retaining five players. If the total amount of payment was more than this, the deduction would also be made accordingly.
Earlier, a proposal had also come forward to end the system of directly retaining all the players and take back the players only through Right to Match (RTM) card. However, under this arrangement, the bid during the auction was expected to be very expensive. Now it remains to be seen what changes BCCI makes in the retention rules before the next mega auction.
