Big debate over mega auction overshadows IPL owners’ meeting

Although the initial agenda of the coveted meeting was to address the issue of defaulting foreign players, a topic anticipated to be a central focus in the discussions between BCCI officials and (Indian Premier League) IPL franchise owners, the events that unfolded on Wednesday evening deviated significantly from this expectation.

While it was previously understood that reaching a consensus on whether to proceed with the mega auction would ultimately influence the number of player retentions, this deliberation has been unfolding during the IPL owners’ meeting at the (Board of Control for Cricket in India) BCCI headquarters, located at the Cricket Centre in Churchgate, in Mumbai.

The primary point of contention was the decision to proceed with a mega auction. Numerous voices, including Shah Rukh Khan of the Kolkata Knight Riders, have voiced their opposition to implementing a mega auction for the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League, scheduled for 2025, as per reports by Cricbuzz.

At one point, SRK was reportedly embroiled in an emotional dispute with Ness Wadia, the co-owner of the Punjab Kings. It is understood that Shah Rukh advocated for player retention, whereas Wadia was believed to oppose an excessive number of retentions.

The resolution regarding the mega auction – whether to proceed with it or not – will ultimately influence the number of player retentions. Should the BCCI opt to forgo the mega auction, the necessity for retentions may be entirely averted.

KKR garnered support from SRH’s owner, Kavya Maran, who articulated the time required to develop a squad, emphasizing the prolonged nature of the process. She highlighted the necessity of investing time and resources to nurture younger players, citing Abhishek Sharma as a prime exemplar to bolster her argument.

“It takes a lot of time to build a squad and as discussed, it also takes quite a bit of time and investment for the younger players to mature. It has taken Abhishek Sharma three years to become consistent with his performances. You would agree that there are many such examples in other teams too,” stated Kavya after the meeting.

Among the other owners present at the meeting were Kiran Kumar Grandhi and Parth Jindal of the Delhi Capitals, Sanjiv Goenka of the Lucknow Super Giants, Rupa Gurunath of the Chennai Super Kings, Manoj Badale of the Rajasthan Royals, and Prathmesh Mishra of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Additionally, some owners, including the Ambanis of the Mumbai Indians, participated remotely via video conference.

Jindal also voiced his perspective, expressing astonishment at the ongoing debate over the mega auction, as he personally supported the idea. He further noted that there was a slight discord among franchises regarding the continuation of the Impact Player rule, with DC opposing it. Jindal confirmed that the BCCI would provide clarity on the rules to the franchises by the end of August.

“I’m surprised that there was a debate over the continuation of the big auction in the first place. I’m personally in favour of it. Jindal also said there was a debate on the Impact Player rule, with differing views from the franchises; DC’s stand was against it. The Impact Player rule is detrimental to the growth of the all-rounders,” mentioned Jindal.