3 reasons why 8 retentions ahead of IPL mega auction in 2025 will be the right move

According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is planning to organize a meeting with all 10 IPL franchises later this month. This is likely to revolve around the policy decisions pertaining to the mega-auction taking place in 2025.

Topics like number of retentions, Right To Match (RTM) options and total purse amount are said to be a primary agenda of the meeting. There have been varied opinions from different franchises, based on their teams' performances in the recent IPL seasons. Some want the number of retentions to be eight, while few are of the view that the use of RTM options is preferred.

On that note, let's take a look at why the move of 8 retentions might work in favor of IPL franchises.

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1) Retention of fan base

The move will help in retaining the fan base of the respective IPL franchises. For example, if MI can retain their core players like Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav, the craze for the team will be maintained in the coming years. Furthermore, a crowd/fan needs his/her favorite player to feature in the team to feel connected.

Although IPL is a thriving market, ticket sales depend on the players featuring in the games in most cities. The team's sponsors usually bank on their popular star, which increases the popularity and earnings of the franchise.

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2) Teams will already have strong core players

The retention of eight players will guarantee stability for the franchise in the upcoming season. For example, Rajasthan Royals are one of the most balanced sides in the tournament.

On the batting front, they have Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Riyan Parag and Shimron Hetmyer. The bowling unit features Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin and Trent Boult. Certainly, if given an opportunity, the Royals would look to maintain their core players to have a deeper run in the tournament.

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3) Chance for a franchise to retain best-performing player for long-term

In the case of the fresh mega auction, it's very hard for each franchise to shell out money on their favorite player, due to the restrictions on the total purse amount. There is always a case where other franchises with more purses can spoil the party.

In this regard, retention will go a long way for franchises to reward and retain their key players. For example, if Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cannot retain Rinku Singh due to retention policies, it is most likely that the southpaw will be snapped by the franchise; thereby affecting KKR's roster strength.