IPL 2025 Auction: New RTM Rule Sparks Concerns Among Franchises, Team Owners Lodge Complaint With BCCI - Report

Add as a preferred source on Google

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently introduced a new rule concerning the Right to Match (RTM) card in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction. However, the new rule hasn't gone down well with several IPL franchises, causing significant unrest.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, many team owners have voiced concerns over the additional advantages granted to the highest bidder in the auction during the RTM process, which they argue undermines the spirit of the system.

What Is the New RTM Rule in IPL Auction 2025?

As part of the IPL 2025 retention guidelines, the BCCI has stated that the highest bidder for a player in the auction will be granted one final opportunity to raise their bid before the team holding the RTM card can exercise their right. The new rule permits the highest bidder to increase their offer to any amount, after which the team with the RTM card must match the revised bid to retain the player.

The BCCI's circulated statement reads: "The highest bidder will be given one final opportunity to raise their bid for a player before the team holding the RTM card can exercise their right."

To clarify, if a team places the highest bid for a player, say Rs X crore, the team holding the RTM can decide whether to use it at that price. If the RTM team agrees to match the bid, the highest bidder is then allowed to raise their offer. Should the highest bidder raise their bid to Rs Y (X+1 or 2) crore, the RTM-holding team must match this new figure to retain the player. Otherwise, the original bid stands.

IPL Franchises Unhappy with the Rule Change

Several franchises have expressed dissatisfaction, claiming that this modification changes the fundamental essence of the RTM, which is meant to gauge a player's true market value.

The main concern is that the highest bidder is being given an "extra opportunity" to raise the bid to an arbitrary amount, which the RTM card-holding team must match. This not only distorts the bidding process but also makes the incremental value of the bid irrelevant.

An unnamed franchise official was quoted by Cricbuzz: "The RTM's purpose is to establish a player's market value, but under the new system, that value can be artificially inflated, forcing teams to match bids that may not accurately reflect the player's worth."

According to the report, some franchises have formally lodged complaints with the BCCI, while others are in informal discussions with officials to express their concerns.

Impact on Auction Strategy and Star Players

The rule change could also have broader implications on the BCCI's intention of attracting top-tier talent to the auction pool. By setting high price caps for retained players (Rs 18 crore and Rs 14 crore for players ranked fourth and fifth, respectively), the BCCI aims to limit pre-auction retentions and boost competition in the auction.

However, critics argue that the RTM amendment may prompt franchises to prioritise retentions instead of utilising the RTM option, as they would prefer not to engage in artificially inflated bidding wars.

With multiple teams voicing concerns, it remains to be seen whether the BCCI will revise or reconsider this contentious rule ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.