BCCI Likely to Stick with 3+1 Retention Rule for IPL Before Mega Auction: Reports. The 10-year wait for their third IPL title finally ended with Kolkata Knight Riders clinching it in 2021. The team led by Shreyas Iyer performed brilliantly during the entire tournament, eventually winning the final match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai. BCCI has not yet finalized the retention rule for the next season with the mega auction set for IPL 2025.
As per a News18 report, the board might go for a 3+1 retention rule in the coming IPL season. To keep up with the IPL’s retention quota, a team can hold onto three players and also prevent a certain player from exiting by matching a bid with a Right to Match card. According to a senior official quoted by News18, increasing the number of players a team can retain would destroy the very basis of the IPL, as it would allow only a few teams to retain many players.
The auction has been an integral part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) from day one. The BCCI is yet to decide on the retention policy for IPL 2025, which will conduct mega auctions. For the upcoming season, a report by News18 stated that BCCI might go with a 3+1 retention policy. A franchise can choose to keep three players and can utilize a right-to-match card during the auction to retain a specific player.
Increasing retentions could threaten the IPL because it would limit the opportunity for a few teams to hold back multiple athletes. The auction has been a key component of the Indian Premier League from day one, according to a News18 report that quoted an unnamed senior official.
IPL 2025 Auction Requires Changes Retention Rule
An official has informed News18 that “Increasing retentions to six or eight players, along with RTMs, will render auctions pointless. Auctions have contributed to the charm of the IPL, and diminishing their importance won’t benefit the league’s health.”
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Auction system in IPL leads to regular transfers among players which becomes a serious barrier for any franchise looking to build a dedicated fan base. Very few players stick with one team throughout their careers; my experience suggests that the only way forward is to have an official draft.
“Yes, many teams are worried about this but you can’t compare the IPL fanship with the EPL clubs; it’s too early for that in India. And that is why few sides have managed to build strong fan bases so far—if a process like that has to be created then we need to look at scrapping auctioning and going for a draft-and-transfer system. But having said so the auction does add a different interest level altogether in the IPL,” said the official person.
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One more official supported the idea to increase the number of retentions. The official said, “Even the teams that are not doing well have been able to make a good core this time around.” Speaking to News18, he added – ‘There were some underperforming sides throughout the season. Punjab Kings didn’t qualify despite having scouted and put money into a few reliable players so they could be one of these teams that needs increased retentions for continuity’.
