Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) CEO Kavya Maran received mixed comments over her demands for the IPL 2025 mega auction. Kavya Kalanithi Maran proposed various changes to bring in the IPL auction process which includes an increase in retention number, auction purse, scrap the overseas players’ retention limit and much more.
SRH CEO Kavya Maran’s suggestion for the IPL 2025 Mega Auction overview:
- A minimum of 7 players should be retained.
- No limit on overseas/Indian/uncapped retention out of those 7.
- Choice of discussing with players about retention/RTM at the auction.
- BCCI should not decide the salary Cap of Retained Players.
- The player should be banned for skipping IPL after being purchased during the auction.
- Senior retired players should not be treated as uncapped players.
- The mega auction should be conducted every 5 years.
Choice of discussing with players about retention/RTM at the auction.
Kavya Maran suggested the board to give the players an option regarding their retention process. This will allow the players to decide whether they want to be retained ahead of the auction or by RTM option at the auction.
“There have been numerous instances in the past where a player has preferred to go to the auction when he has felt that the retention amount is on the lower side. There have also been instances where multiple players have felt that they should be the first retention, and if not retained as first, they have asked to be put in the auction instead.
To avoid this, we can give the players the chance to either be retained or RTM at the market discovered price, ensuring that the player is not disgruntled about the retention price,” the SRH CEO said.
Rationalizing her suggestion to increase retentions to six, Maran said that teams would be willing to pay more just to retain a player.
“If only retentions are allowed, there is a good possibility that franchises will pay their retained players more than the retention value through side contracts.
But with RTMs, a player gets the market price in the auction within the restrictions of the purse, and this will ensure that the purse decides and restricts the purchasing power of all franchises and not the bank balance of the franchise.
It will also ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of a brand as prestigious as the IPL”, she said.
Increase in Overseas Players Retention
She also threw her view over the foreign players’ retention policy. According to BCCI’s current standard, a team can retain upto two overseason players. Kavya Maran suggests BCCI to increase the limit as teams that build that core team based on foreign players might get affected.
“Each team is built differently, and the core strengths of various squads are different. Some have strong overseas players, some have strong capped Indian players, and some strong uncapped players.
In our case, we have a strong core of overseas players. The number of capped/uncapped/ overseas players retained should be at the discretion of the franchise and not restricted. For example, we can retain four overseas and two capped Indians or three overseas and three uncapped Indians and so on,” she said.
Player should be banned for skipping IPL after being purchased in auction
She raised an issue regarding the withdrawal of players after being roped in for a low amount by a team in the auction. Kavya’s suggestion came after Wanindu Hasaranga withdrew from IPL 2024 whom they auctioned for INR 1.5 crore in the IPL 2024 auction.
SRH’s bid for Hasaranga is considered as the ‘best buy’ in the mini auction as he was purchased for INR 10 crore by RCB in the previous auction. After being bought for a very low amount compared to his previous price, the Sri Lanka allrounder pulled out of IPL 2024 owing to injury reasons.
“After being selected in the auction, if a player doesn’t come to play the season for any reason apart from injury, he should be banned. The franchises put in a lot of effort into the auction to form their combinations. If a player goes for a low amount in the auction, and subsequently doesn’t turn up, it affects the combination and the balance of the side. There have been many instances of overseas players not turning up for this reason,” she added.
BCCI should not decide the salary Cap of Retained Players
The owner of the IPL 2024 runner-up suggested the board to consider the retention amount based on the number of players instead of individuals.
As per BCCI’s current retention policy, the first retained player will have a salary upto 14 crores while the second and third retention will receive upto 10 and 7 crores.
“The money deducted from the overall salary cap for pre-auction retentions must be an overall pot based on the number of players retained, and should not be individual amounts for first retention, second retention and so on.
The franchise should have the discretion of how they split the amount among the retained players. This will prevent situations of conflict where players feel that they are of the same calibre but one player gets a higher amount, while the other lower based on pre-assigned brackets. This will also eliminate the potential of off-contract payments”, she stated.
Senior retired players should not be treated as uncapped players
SRH owner Kavya Maran also suggests the board not to include senior retired players’ names under the uncapped players tag during retention as it could suppress the player’s value.
“Senior players have immense value in the IPL. They bring experience and some also bring brand value. By restricting their value to the uncapped amount, we are disrespecting the player and his value. Some retired players can go for much more in the auction than being retained as uncapped pre-auction.”
“When new uncapped players get more money in the auction, it sets a wrong precedent to allow senior players to be retained as uncapped. Let the auction dictate the value and calibre of the retired player, thereby respecting their contribution to the game over the years,” she concluded.
