IPL franchise owners-BCCI meeting: Auction purse, retentions and Impact Player rule likely to be discussed - Reports

The much-awaited meeting between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners is set to take place in Mumbai on Wednesday, July 31, at 7:30 PM, according to various media reports. Discussions around auction purse, number of retentions, and the Impact Player rule are said to be on the agenda for the crucial meeting.

The exchange of ideas between the BCCI and the owners of IPL franchises holds greater significance in the wake of the upcoming mega auction for the 2025 IPL season. Questions were asked about the relevance of having a mega auction during and after the 2022 edition as strong teams like Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) wore a rather unfamiliar look with a change of personnel.

A report by FirstPost quoted CricketNext News18 as saying that the auction purse could be the major focus during the BCCI-IPL owners' meet on Wednesday. Presently, the auction purse for each franchise has been set at ₹100 crore. It remains to be seen whether the same will be raised.

There have been mixed views on the Impact Player rule as well. While several critics have questioned the rule, some do feel that it makes for interesting viewing and adds a touch of intrigue, especially in close matches.

Shivam Dube was used smartly as an Impact Player by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during IPL 2024. Since his bowling and fielding are not his strong suits, his primary job was to take on the spinners in the middle and end overs.

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Varying opinions over retention limit among IPL franchises - Reports

The FirstPost report also stated that the retention rule is likely to be among the major points of discussion during the BCCI-IPL franchise owners' meet. Apparently, the teams that have performed well recently want the retention limit to be raised to at least five, but the ones who haven't done well might not be on the same page.

Ahead of the 2022 IPL mega auction, the BCCI allowed each franchise to retain only four players. All the others had to put their names back in the auction pool. The rule remains the same as of now unless, of course, the BCCI decides to amend it after the meeting with franchise owners on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the ‘Right To Match’ (RTM) card option is also likely to come up for discussion.