Right to Match card (RTM) allows the teams to purchase an unretained player who played for them in the previous edition for the highest bidding amount the player has received in that auction. In Indian Premier League (IPL), the RTM option is available only during mega auction since during these auctions, teams can retain only a smaller number of players with restrictions.
RTM card meaning in IPL auction?
Explaining RTM card in simple terms, it is basically an option to the current franchise owner of a player to match the price of the players sold during an auction in order to retain the player at that price.
To note, a team can retain a maximum of five players in Auction. If a team has retained 3 players in pre-auction retention, then only two RTMs are available for the team to complete the quota of 5 retentions. If a team has retained only 2 players, then 3 RTMs are available for the team, and so on.
RTM is applied during the auction process when a player is being bid for. If a team can match the highest amount that is bid for a player they want to retain, then they can apply the RTM i.e. they show the willingness to match the amount needed to retain the player in the squad.
