The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may delay the announcement of the IPL retention rules, according to information from IPL franchise owners and officials. The delay could extend until the end of September.
According to reports, BCCI might release the policy around its Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled for September 29 in Bengaluru. However, the BCCI has not explicitly linked the AGM to the retention policy announcement. There is still a chance that the board could surprise everyone by unveiling the policy in the coming days, though IPL officials generally expect a postponement of 10 to 14 days.
No official statement has been made regarding the delay, but BCCI representatives have suggested to franchises—who have been inquiring about the retention guidelines—that the announcement may be pushed back. The franchises have sought clarity on the timeline, but the board has yet to provide a confirmed date for the policy release.
The BCCI had initially planned to reveal the retention policy by the end of August, as indicated by officials following the owners’ meeting in Mumbai last month. However, as August approached its end, franchise officials reached out to the BCCI and were reportedly informed of a further delay.
Officials have been led to believe that the IPL retention policy will likely be announced by the end of September. While the exact date remains unclear, it has been confirmed that franchises must finalize their player retention decisions by November 15. The auction, tentatively scheduled for December, is expected to include the Right to Match (RTM) options for teams.
The BCCI is reportedly considering a controversial move to classify retired international players as uncapped, though it’s uncertain whether this would significantly impact teams’ auction budgets. Some speculate that this change might benefit Chennai Super Kings by allowing MS Dhoni to be classified as an uncapped player, but it is more likely that the league is keen on ensuring Dhoni’s participation for another season.
Chennai Super Kings have stated that if Dhoni decides to continue playing, he will be one of their retained players, regardless of whether the BCCI limits retentions to two players. This underscores Dhoni’s importance to the team.
The policy regarding retired international players could also affect cricketers like Sunil Narine, who last played a T20I in 2019 and has since retired from international cricket.
The BCCI’s retention policies, along with the positions taken by teams like CSK, could impact the future of players who have retired from international cricket but remain active in franchise leagues.
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