BCCI to delay key decision related to player retentions for the upcoming season of the IPL ahead of the mega auctions.
BCCI expects to make a delay in announcing the release of the retention rules.
If the policy is announced around the time of the BCCI’s AGM, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. It is still possible for the BCCI to shock everyone by revealing the policy in the coming days. IPL officials, however, generally believe that the announcement might take a minimum of 10 days to two weeks.
Following the owners’ meeting in Mumbai last month, Board officials openly indicates the BCCI was to unveil the policy before the end of August. When franchise executives contacted the BCCI as the deadline drew near, they allegedly learnt of a further postponement and were under the impression that it would happen by the end of September.
It means that the franchises may have till November 15 to make their retention decisions. This is regardless of when the BCCI announces its retention policy. Most likely slated for December, the Right to Match (RTM) options will also be in the auction.
It is unclear if the BCCI’s decision to declare retired international players uncapped will have an impact on auction proceeds. It benefits the league as a whole if MS Dhoni plays for one more season. It is possible that this policy intends to benefit Chennai Super Kings and put him in the “uncapped” group.
BCCI will deduct a portion of the purse based on the number of retentions. It assumes that uncapping retired players won’t have significant impact on the auction purse. This allows franchises to set player prices without determining the value of each retained player, as is currently the case.