Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ambati Rayudu has stressed for the need for more player retentions ahead of IPL 2025. His remarks come amid the uncertainty over the number of retentions the BCCI is going to permit ahead of the mega auction in December. Currently, the teams have time till November 15 to decide on retentions but have not been given a number by the board yet.
Rayudu wants more retentions for IPL teams
Ambati Rayudu told news agency PTI that the teams should be allowed to have ‘lot more’ retentions in order to preserve the core of the team. He argued that the franchises invested a lot in players and that the core of a team is what makes the side unique in IPL. He stressed for the need for more retentions, claiming that the culture of the team would last longer if the core remained intact.
“I feel retentions have to be a lot more because a franchise invests a lot in players, the core of the team is what makes every team unique in the IPL so the longer the core remains the culture of the team remains,” Rayudu commented as quoted by PTI.
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Rayudu further said that all important players must be retained and that it cannot be limited to just one or two retentions. His former CSK teammate Suresh Raina agreed with him and added that a mega auction should take place every three years.
Number of Retentions
While the franchises want the number of retentions to be as high as eight, BCCI could make it 5 with 3 RTMs for IPL 2025 Auction. But with the BCCI officials busy in the Asian Cricket Council and International Cricket Council, a meeting has not taken place on that matter.
“We have only heard from the BCCI that it will be delayed. We still don’t know about the number of retentions, the number of RTMs, or anything else regarding the IPL auction. There is no clarity on when exactly the auction will be,” a franchise official told InsideSport.
With two new members set to be elected in the IPL Governing Council during BCCI’s Annual General Meeting on Sep 29, the decision could be made in October. In any case, franchises will only have time till November 15 to finalise the retentions.
