There is a lot of discussion about the IPL 2025 retention policies among fans and franchises. BCCI has declared the modifications before the mega-auction to be conducted shortly. Teams will be allowed to retain up to five players, but what has been done away with is the Right-to-Match (RTM). This change could help determine how franchises approach their plans for the next season.
Franchise Owners Push for Five Retentions
Recently, during a meeting held in Mumbai at BCCI headquarters, most franchise owners agreed with five to six retentions. Some key teams, the so-called giants of IPL such as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI), who have celebrated five IPL championships each, supported the idea. They hope to keep their central teams strong with five retentions and prevent players from leaving or jumping ship. It will benefit the stronger teams because they can form their teams around these crucial players.
No More RTM: What It Means for Teams
However, some franchises with mixed feelings will definitely welcome the decision not to go ahead with the RTM option. RTM made the auctioning of players possible, and teams could regain their former players for the amount equal to the highest bid. This has benefited teams in that they can get back their star performers; however, due to the removal of the RTM option, franchises will now need to be as selective. It may be that if RTM is removed, there is likely to be a more significant number of big names in the auction. Hence, it becomes a war of bids for the franchises.
Also, the BCCI will likely agree to the retention norms and the number of uncapped and overseas players. It has been proposed that teams may retain between 2-3 uncapped players under the two different retention categories. This would enable franchises to keep young, talent-growing players in their teams. The final rules will then be made for approval by the IPL Governing Council.
IPL 2025 Mega-Auction Venue and Date
The mega-auction is planned to be held in November 2025, and the BCCI is open to organising the event in a different country. Some of the countries on consideration include Dubai, Doha, and Abu Dhabi. The auctions will probably be the place where teams will compete for the right to sign the most talented players and form a competitive team for the next year. IPL fans will keep on waiting for the new things in these new rules and the auction that is going to be held.
Rishabh Pant Slams False Reports on IPL 2025 Retention Rules
Rishabh Pant has publicly denied the news about the IPL 2025 retention rules as fake news. In a recent post he made on a social media platform, he complained about fake news.
According to the statement made by Pant, he worried about the fluency of fake news, and he advised people to check their sources before sharing the news. He was quick to point out that this is not the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last. In future, always cross check with your so called sources.
He was not only aiming his comments at particular news outlets but at all those who disseminated fake news. This is a wakeup call for the media and the fans to exercise a lot of care when dealing with such reports until an authoritative source like the BCCI or the IPL Governing Council releases any statement on the same.
Gujarat Titans to Retain Ashish Nehra as Head Coach
As mentioned by Cricbuzz, the Gujarat Titans are planning to retain Ashish Nehra as the head coach of the team for the IPL 2025 edition. Nehra has been a key player of the team and the franchise has faith in him as a leader and a coach of the team. He has good records of performance with Gujarat Titans in the past and retaining him may help to maintain the consistent team set up.
Ownership Change for Gujarat Titans on the Horizon?
While it is good news that Nehra has committed to remaining with Gujarat Titans, there have been rumours about a change in ownership of the franchise. Speculations have emerged that an Ahmedabad based pharmaceutical company Torrent Pharma may soon take control of the team. This ownership change may bring new investment and resources to the team if it is true, and the management and long-term vision of the team could be affected as a result
Sanjay Bangar to Leave Punjab Kings Coaching Staff
Another big piece of information that came up in ESPN Cricinfo is that Sanjay Bangar will not be part of the coaching staff of Punjab Kings in this year’s IPL. This is a change since Bangar had been part of the coaching staff, and played a role in the planning of the franchise.
Ricky Ponting Appointed as Punjab Kings’ New Head Coach
After Bangar’s resignation, Punjab Kings have hired Ricky Ponting as their head coach. This change is believed to introduce a new dimension to the team’s coaching management style. Sports management might just find in Ponting the much needed strategy expert coupled with his capability as a player and a coach to solidify the Punjab Kings position in the league. This could assist the franchise to move from the past irregularity in completing to a clearer performance in the IPL 2025.
These changes in the coaching and ownership profiles indicate that the teams are willing to re-strategise and reconfigure in preparation for a new IPL season.
