Ind T20 League Owners to Debate Retention Limits and RTM Option at July 31 Meeting

The Indian Cricket Board will soon meet with the owners of the Indian T20 League franchise on July 31 to discuss the critical player retention policies ahead of the 2024 auction.

The much-anticipated meeting is slated to take place at the Indian Cricket Board headquarters in Mumbai and is likely to confirm the number of players retention per team. According to sources the Indian Cricket Board may retain a relatively low limit, probably 5-6 players.

The reason for capping on retentions is to keep the competitive auction process alive. If every franchise can retain up to 8 players, then most top talent would never make it to the auction process, making the event rather drab.

"The Indian Cricket Board is striking a balance - providing continuity for teams while also ensuring the auction remains an engaging marketplace for teams to build their squads," said a senior Indian T20 League official.

It is also certain that the debate over the Right-to-Match option will feature high on the agenda. The RTM clause allows franchises to match the highest bid for their retained players. The RTM clause was not in use at the 2021 mega auction.

As many as the supporters of RTM argue that the process allows each player to be valued at his true market worth, the critics feel it will only encourage franchises to artificially inflate the base prices of a few players to retain them, thereby affecting the dynamics of the auction process.

"There are valid points on both sides of the RTM debate. The Indian Cricket Board will have to carefully weigh the pros and cons before deciding," the official added.

Considering the varied opinions that have come in from the franchise owners' ends, it will be a tall order on the Indian Cricket Board's part to come up with retention and auction rules that please everyone. The decision of July 31 will set the stage for the much-anticipated 2024 Indian T20 League player auction.