Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) owner Kavya Maran has backed the proposal to increase player retentions for each team ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.

During the IPL owners' meeting at the BCCI Headquarters on July 31, Maran suggested that each team should be allowed at least six retentions or six RTM (Right To Match) options to preserve their core squads.

"We can use it as four retentions and two RTMS, or all six retentions, or all six RTMS and so on. The choice on whether a retention or RTM is used should be with the franchise based on discussions with the player," Maran stated, as quoted by NDTV.

She also highlighted past instances where players preferred going to the auction if they felt the retention amount was not enough.

"There have been numerous instances in the past where a player has preferred to go to the auction when he has felt that the retention amount is on the lower side. There have also been instances where multiple players have felt that they should be the first retention, and if not retained as first, they have asked to be put in the auction instead. To avoid this, we can give the players the chance to either be retained or RTM at the market discovered price, ensuring that the player is not disgruntled about the retention price," Maran said.

"If only retentions are allowed, there is a good possibility that franchises will pay their retained players more than the retention value through side contracts. But with RTMs, a player gets the market price in the auction within the restrictions of the purse and this will ensure that the purse decides and restricts the purchasing power of all franchises and not the bank balance of the franchise... It will also ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of a brand as prestigious as the IPL," she explained.

In order to address recurring problems faced by the teams due to unexpected player withdrawals at the last moment, the SRH owner banning any cricketer who doesn't play despite being picked in the auction unless they have a serious injury.

"After being selected in the auction, if a player doesn't come to play the season for any reason apart from injury, he should be banned," she said.

(With NDTV Inputs)