By The meeting of IPL franchise owners, scheduled for April 16 in Ahmedabad, has been postponed, as confirmed by multiple sources. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) informed the franchise owners about the change in the IPL program, leading to the postponement of the meeting. A new date for the meeting has not been announced yet. Some franchises have been vocal against increasing the number of player retentions.
The meeting was intended to discuss the future of the IPL, particularly focusing on the mega-auction scheduled for next year. The BCCI wanted to gather the opinions of the owners regarding the number of retentions allowed and the size of the player purse. There have been discussions about increasing the current cap of four retentions and significantly raising the player purse from the current limit of Rs 100 crore.
A suggestion has emerged advocating for not more than one retention, but allowing franchises more Right To Match (RTM) options. This approach is believed to be more market-driven and transparent. Concerns have been raised that retention could lead to under-the-table payments to players.
Meeting of IPL owners postponed regarding Security issues
The RTM formula would enable franchises to acquire their existing players at a price determined during the live auction. However, there is a risk of some franchises artificially inflating a player’s bidding price to force the interested team to pay more. The BCCI has not yet taken a definitive stance on this matter.
The meeting between BCCI/IPL officials and franchise promoters was originally scheduled to take place during an IPL game between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals in Ahmedabad. However, this game has been postponed by a day, as the BCCI has rescheduled the Kolkata Knight Riders-Rajasthan Royals game at the Eden Gardens to April 16. This change was made due to the Rama Navami festivities in Kolkata, with the city police expressing security concerns.
