Kavya Maran Suggests Massive Changes In IPL Auction, Says “We Can Use…”

Sunrisers Hyderabad owner Kavya Maran has supported the idea of increasing the number of player retentions for each team ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. During the IPL owners’ meeting at the BCCI Headquarters on Wednesday, Maran explained that each team should have at least six retentions or six Right to Match (RTM) options to preserve the core of their squads.

“We can use it as four retentions and two RTMs, or all six retentions, or all six RTMs. The choice on whether a retention or RTM is used should be with the franchise based on discussions with the player,” Maran said.

She highlighted instances where players preferred going to the auction if they felt the retention amount was too low, or multiple players wanted to be the first retention, opting for the auction if they were not. “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 emphasized that only allowing retentions could lead franchises to pay 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. This will ensure that the purse decides and restricts the purchasing power of all franchises, 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.

Additionally, Maran suggested that any cricketer who doesn’t appear for the tournament despite being selected in the auction, without a serious injury, should be banned. “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.