IPL 2022: Teams likely to be allowed to retain up to three players: Reports

With the second half of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League set to resume in the United Arab Emirates on September 19, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that there are no hiccups throughout the rest of the tournament. 

Interestingly, the board has already begun deliberations on the rules for player retentions ahead of the mega auction, which is scheduled to take place in December. As per a report in Cricbuzz, a meeting was scheduled in Delhi, where the BCCI officials and the IPL governing council discussed topics regarding the retention policies and the introduction of two new teams. While the legal work of tender is still ongoing, it remains to be seen which two cities make the cut. The last time IPL had ten teams was almost ten years ago, when Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Sahara Pune Warriors were part of the competition.

A tender document for the two new teams will be introduced this month. However, the bids for the teams will be opened in October, coinciding with the final of the IPL 2021 in the United Arab Emirates. The addition of two new teams will force the BCCI to increase the number of matches. 

Teams are likely to be allowed to retain up to three players 

It is expected that teams will be allowed to retain up to three players before the mega auction. In previous auctions, franchises were permitted to use the Right-to-match (RTM) card, which allowed them to match the auction price of a player belonging to that franchise before being released for the auction. With the addition of two new teams, it is unlikely that the eight franchises will be given the option to use RTM this time.