We are all talking about the IPL retention deadline. In fact, social media is in a tizzy with all sorts of stories floating around. Come October 31, and it will finally be known to the world who are the players retained by the 10 franchises. While a number of names are already out in the open, there is still conjecture over the fate of a number of key individuals. But that’s not the point here. The point is how the IPL Governing Council and the BCCI have successfully made this process far more interesting than it could have been.
One such decision I want to highlight is the fourth retention at 18 crores. With this one call, the entire auction dynamic has changed. Had it been the conventional 18, 14, 11, 8 – almost every franchise would have used the 8-crore bracket or whatever the lowest one was. At 18, things are vastly different. All of a sudden, people are being forced to rethink. Should we or should we not? Should we use the Right To Match instead? Is it a risk retaining someone for 18 crores as the fourth option?
This is the one decision that has made the auction a level playing field and credit must be given to the IPL GC and the BCCI. There is conjecture over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) retaining Andre Russell. The chances are he might not be retained, because of this 18-crore fourth-retention fee. Paying 18 crores to two players would mean you have spent 30 percent of your entire auction purse. And that’s what makes it challenging for teams. You need to be extremely clear in your thinking if you go for four retentions. No half-measures will work, and that’s what this auction is all about. Mumbai, for example, are clear they want to retain the four core players in Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah. Some other teams aren’t as clear, and will hence go into the auction with a different mindset.
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The change in the RTM rule is yet another fantastic call, which has added much to the auction. In fact, suffice to say that these two rules have actually made the auction a mega one. It will be one of the best spectacles in recent times with many big names going under the hammer. The auction is tailormade for social media, and the engagement could well compare favourably with any other global news event.
Some of the new rules have also empowered players to turn free agents and take a bold plunge. If they are confident of their market value, they can indeed go into the auction and test the waters. On the other hand, franchises can release a player if they are confident of getting him back at a value less than what they are paying currently. If this arithmetic goes awry, which will surely happen with some teams, the entire auction strategy could go bust.
While, for the longest time, we have asked where the next innovation in the IPL is going to come from, we finally have our answer. It is in the auction, and that’s what has made it far more interesting, adding to the robustness of the IPL brand.
Now to all the disclosures 24 hours from now.
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