The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) could defer the publication of retention rules ahead of the IPL 2025, reports have stated.
It would not be surprising if the policy was made public around the time of the BCCI's Annual General Meeting (AGM), which is scheduled for September 29 in Bengaluru.
There is no direct link between the AGM and IPL policies, and the BCCI may still surprise everyone by announcing the policy in the coming days. However, most IPL officials believe that the announcement will take at least 10 days to two weeks.
While there has been no formal communication to this effect, BCCI officials are thought to have hinted at a delay to franchises who have recently approached them concerning retention policies.
Initially, the BCCI was scheduled to unveil the policy by the end of August, as indicated publicly by Board officials following last month's owners' meeting in Mumbai. However, as the deadline came, franchise executives contacted the BCCI and were notified of a further delay, with the assumption that it would occur by the end of September.
Regardless of when the BCCI releases the retention policy, it is presently believed that teams may have till November 15 to make their retention selections. The Right to Match (RTM) options will almost surely be available during the auction, which is expected to take place in December.
The BCCI is reportedly considering designating former international players as uncapped, but it is unclear whether this will have a significant impact on the auction purse.
“This policy may not be specifically aimed at placing MS Dhoni in the 'uncapped' category and helping Chennai Super Kings, since it is in the interest of the league itself if Dhoni plays for one more season. Besides, CSK officials also maintain that should Dhoni decide to play next season, he would be one of their retentions, even if the BCCI permits only two retentions,” Cricbuzz report stated.
The general belief is that uncapping retired players will have little impact on the auction purse because the BCCI will deduct a percentage of the purse based on the number of retentions, allowing franchises to set player prices without necessarily determining the value of each retained player, as is currently done.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
