Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced his concerns about the Right to Match (RTM) rule in IPL auctions, proposing a revision that could benefit players. He believes that when a franchise releases a player, it indicates that the player is not among their top four or five choices, questioning the fairness of allowing those franchises to reclaim the player during the auction.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to finalise the regulations regarding player retention and RTM cards for the upcoming IPL season, as franchises have differing opinions on the matter. Reports suggest that successful teams from last seasons, like Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, are pushing for more than three retentions, while others, like Punjab Kings, favour minimal retention to maximise their spending in the auction.
The RTM rule allows teams to retain players from the previous season by matching the highest bid from other franchises. Introduced in 2014, this rule hasn't been utilised since the 2018 auctions. In a previous proposal, KKR CEO Venky Mysore suggested that teams should be able to retain players based on their market value, allowing each team eight RTM options to bring back former players.
Ashwin, however, isn't particularly keen on the RTM rule. He explained that if a franchise has deemed a player expendable, it seems unjust for them to reclaim the player in an auction setting. "If a franchise releases a player because they don’t see him in their top four or five, then what gives them the right to jump in during an auction?" Ashwin stated during an appearance on Kris Srikkanth's YouTube show, Cheeky Cheeka.
He proposed that the BCCI should modify the RTM rule to allow players the choice to rejoin their old franchises. "Give the player the option to decide if they want the right to match. There should be a contract stipulating that they can only be RTMed if the price is set at a certain amount, which the player can help determine," he added.