Reports: BCCI 'reluctant' to move on from 3+1 retention policy amidst controversy around RTM

The 17th edition of the world’s most expensive T20 franchise cricket league, Indian Premier League concluded just 5 days ago, with the Kolkata Knight Riders lifting the title for the third time in the tournament's history since its inception 16 years back in 2008. As the frenzy of IPL 2024 settles, BCCI has started preparing for the mega auction for the upcoming IPL 2025.

The board is keen to go ahead with the retention policy of 3+1 for the IPL 2025 mega auctions; meanwhile, a few media reports have learned that the IPL franchises aren’t very pleased with the 3+1 retention policy of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

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BCCI categorically clears its approach on '3+1' retention policy

This ‘3+1’ policy of BCCI won’t go fine with the few franchises as they’re willing to retain six to eight players ahead of the IPL 2024 mega auctions and this policy won’t allow them to do so. However, the board is looking ‘reluctant’ to move on from the current ‘3+1’ retention policy.

“Increasing retentions to six or eight players, while also having RTMs, would render the auctions meaningless. The auctions are integral to the IPL’s appeal, and diminishing their significance could be detrimental to the league’s health,” said a BCCI official to News18 while speaking about the significance of auctions in the Indian Premier League.

“Yes, that’s a concern for many teams, but we can’t yet compare IPL fan bases to those of EPL clubs. The IPL is still relatively young, and only a few teams have developed a solid fan base. This will take time. If there is a strong push to develop loyalty, perhaps eliminating the auction in favour of a draft or introducing a transfer system could be considered. However, the auctions are currently a defining feature of the IPL,” the official added later.

Notably, all the participating 10 teams will have to go in the mega auction for the upcoming edition of the tournament so they can retain only 3 players with one more by ‘Right To Match (RTM) card’.

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