The release of the Indian Premier League (IPL) retention rules may face additional delays, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) potentially postponing the announcement until the end of September. This delay is expected to coincide with the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bengaluru on September 29.
Although there is no direct connection between the AGM and the IPL retention policy, the BCCI might choose to unveil the policy around the time of the meeting. Despite this, many IPL officials believe that the announcement could be delayed by at least 10 days to two weeks. While formal communication about the delay has not been made, BCCI officials have subtly indicated to franchises that the policy might not be released immediately.
Initially, the BCCI had planned to announce the retention policy by the end of August. This timeline was communicated during last month’s meeting with IPL team owners in Mumbai. However, as the deadline approached, franchise officials were informed of a further delay, with the new expected release being at the end of September.
Regardless of the exact announcement date, it is anticipated that franchises will have until November 15 to finalize their retention decisions. The IPL auction, which is likely to take place in December, will include the Right to Match (RTM) options.
The BCCI is deliberating on a controversial proposal to categorize retired international players as uncapped. This potential change might not significantly affect the auction purse. The policy’s intention is not necessarily to benefit Chennai Super Kings by classifying MS Dhoni as uncapped, although it could have implications for players like Sunil Narine, who retired from international cricket in 2019.
CSK officials have indicated that if Dhoni decides to play next season, he will be retained by the team, even if the BCCI restricts the number of retentions. The impact of uncapping retired players on the auction purse remains debated, but the BCCI’s plan to deduct a percentage of the purse based on the number of retentions is expected to offer some flexibility for franchises in pricing players.
