Will the Right to Match be seen once again in the IPL 2025 mega auction or not. RTM rule has become a hot topic of debate again, especially after veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin criticized it, calling it one of the most unfair rules. Ashwin is not alone, in the past, players like Gautam Gambhir and Kevin Pietersen have also pointed out flaws in the RTM rule.
They have all been vocal about their concerns, arguing that the rule can be unfair to players who might receive higher bids if allowed to go to another team and that it reduces their freedom in the auction. David Warner, in particular, mentioned that the rule sometimes prevents players from exploring better opportunities with other franchises.
R Ashwin on RTM
Talking about the RTM policy, Ashwin pointed out how the RTM is unfair because it doesn’t give fair value for the player. He argues that RTM doesn’t allow players to explore other franchises as well. If a team chooses not to retain a player, the player should be open to bidding from all teams without the original team having a preferential right.
According to him, the RTM rule can limit competition for players, as teams know they can retain their key players without bidding aggressively. This can lead to players being undervalued, which should not be the case.
What is RTM in IPL
To understand the RTM, it’s an option for the franchise to acquire a player’s services if they don’t retain them and instead open them for bidding. The franchise can then match the price at which the player is sold during the auction in order to retain the player at that price.
Now, discussions are intensifying about the characteristics of the RTM rule. In the meeting on July 31, where the BCCI met with all the franchise owners about this as well, it will be interesting to see how things unfold in IPL 2025 mega auction, as it’s possible the rule could be tweaked.
How many players can IPL teams retain?
For now franchises can retain only four players before the mega auction.
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