BCCI and IPL team owners to discuss retentions and RTM on July 31: Report

New Delhi: The meeting between the BCCI and all ten IPL franchise owners is all set to take place on July 31, where the talk will be dominated by the number of retentions teams can make and the Right to Match (RTM) options in hand ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction.

A report by Cricbuzz says IPL CEO Hemang Amin sent text messages to the franchise owners on Thursday morning for the meeting on July 31, telling them that a formal invite with the venue and timing would follow.

“Amin is understood to have also indicated that the meeting would occur in the late afternoon or evening on July 31. It is believed that all the owners have confirmed their availability for the meeting.”

“While the exact venue has not been confirmed, the congregation is expected to take place at the Cricket Centre, the BCCI headquarters, located within the Wankhede Stadium complex in Mumbai,” it added.

For the IPL 2018 Mega Auction, franchises were allowed to retain up to five players - three from the auction - and others by using the Right to Match (RTM) card. But the introduction of two new teams - Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants - in 2022 resulted in existing teams being allowed to retain four players, with no RTM card involved.

The report added that the number of retentions could be kept at either five or six by BCCI. “The reasoning behind limiting retentions is that a higher number could diminish the excitement of the auction. If each team were to retain up to eight players, the top 80 players from around the world and India would be out of the auction, making the whole auction process a lacklustre affair.”

“The Right To Match (RTM) option is a contentious issue that may be debated at the meeting, although it's likely that the BCCI has already made a decision on the matter,” it concluded.