Multiple sources have reported that the meeting between Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owners and the BCCI, which was originally scheduled for April 16 in Ahmedabad, has been postponed. The BCCI informed franchise owners that the meeting was delayed due to changes in the IPL schedule, but a new date has not been set. Some franchises have expressed strong opposition to increasing the number of player retentions.
The meeting was intended to discuss the future of the IPL, including next year's mega-auction. The BCCI leadership asked the owners for their opinions on potential changes to the number of player retentions allowed and the size of teams' salary caps. There have been rumours about increasing the retention limit beyond the current four players and substantially raising the Rs 100 crore salary cap.
However, some argue that retention should be limited to one player and that franchises should receive more Right to Match (RTM) options instead.
The Right to Match (RTM) formula enables franchises to re-sign their current players at a price set during the live auction. However, this could lead to some teams artificially inflating a player's bidding price, resulting in interested teams having to pay more. This also risks forcing the original team to purchase the player at an inflated cost if they match the highest bid. While there have been discussions about allowing eight-player retentions, some argue that there should only be one retention and seven RTM options. The BCCI has not yet declared its official position on the best path forward.
A meeting between IPL officials and franchise promoters, initially scheduled alongside the Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals match in Ahmedabad, was postponed. This was due to the Kolkata Knight Riders-Rajasthan Royals game at Eden Gardens being moved up to April 16 because of Rama Navami festivities. The Kolkata police had expressed security concerns, forcing the date change.