The IPL franchise owners and BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) are set to attend the meeting on July 31 (Wednesday) at 07:30 pm IST, to discuss the plan ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The meeting is finalized to take place at the recently developed BCCI office on the fourth floor of the Wankhede Stadium Complex in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, rumors are spreading about the team’s purse value, number of retentions allowed per side, impact player rule, RTM (Right To Match) Cards, and MS Dhoni’s role with the CSK franchise in the next season.
Additionally, there is gossip about Rahul Dravid’s return to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) franchise as head coach. Similarly, there are speculations about the franchises parting ways with the head coaches such as Ashish Nehra of Gujarat Titans, Trevor Bayliss of Punjab Kings, and Ricky Ponting of Delhi Capitals.
As BCCI is still in doubt over the exact rules and regulations ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, the are rumours circulating about the possible introduction of a rule where the players could be sold or traded on a loan basis. This kind of concept is witnessed in football leagues.
Ahead of the crucial meeting between BCCI and franchise owners, it would be interesting to explore the rumors regarding the upcoming 18th edition of the IPL (Indian Premier League) in 2025.
Players’ Retention and Release
Each team might be allowed 4 to 5 retentions, whereas few sources suggest that the franchises might be allowed to retain up to 6 players. Also, the BCCI is not ready to accept the policy of retaining 8 players per side since the mega event could become lackluster by releasing too many star cricketers out of the auction pool.
Re-Introducing Right To Match Cards (RTM)
As the RTM cards were removed in the year 2021, it is expected that the rule could be introduced back again. Under this rule, every franchise has the opportunity to retain a player back for the highest bid, who was released from the squad and couldn’t be acquired back by using a salary slab slot.
Impact Player Rule to be Eliminated in IPL 2025
According to the latest report, the impact player rule might be removed for the upcoming edition of the IPL in 2025. Earlier, several franchise owners voiced their opinion about their dissatisfaction over the rule, where the 12th player from each team’s squad was allowed to introduce in the playing XI.
Although the franchises and players do not support the rule, the broadcasters highly appreciate it.
Purse Value to be increased for IPL 2025 Auction
It is expected that the purse value for each team for the forthcoming season might be increased from INR 100 Crores (the previous year’s auction value) to INR 120 Crores for the dynamic IPL 2025 auction.
MS Dhoni’s Future with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025
Currently, every IPL franchise has the option to retain upto a maximum of four players, and in such cases, there are fewer chances for MS Dhoni to return as a player. Also, Dhoni is not the prime choice for retention, as certain players in the squad can continue to play for many years for the team such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, and Shivam Dube. As a result, CSK’s main focus will be on younger talents and existing key players, which might shift Dhoni to a mentoring role.
At the same time, Dhoni has a chance to continue his IPL career, if the retention limit is increased upto five or six players.
Rahul Dravid’s Return to Rajasthan Royals as Head Coach
The former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid could return to Rajasthan Royals (RR) as the Head Coach. It was under Dravid’s guidance that India recently won the T20 World Cup in June 2024 and concluded their 11-year drought period of winning an ICC trophy.
Earlier, 51-year-old former Indian cricketer, guided RR to the finals of the 2013 Champions League T20 and concluded as the runner-up and qualified for IPL playoffs in the same year. He also worked as the mentor of the side for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Ashish Nehra might end his Tenure as Gujarat Titans Head Coach
The News 18 reports recently claimed that the former Indian pace bowler Ashish Nehra might quit from his job as the head coach of Gujarat Titans. Also, the director of cricket Vikram Solanki might leave the franchise ahead of IPL 2025. Furthermore, the reports added that India’s ex-all-rounder Yuvraj Singh might become the role of new head coach.
Punjab Kings could separate ways with Trevor Bayliss
Possibly, the Punjab Kings might not retain Trevor Bayliss, whose 2-year contract as head coach concluded. Also, there are discussions that the franchise is searching for an Indian coach to guide the team in the forthcoming editions.
Ricky Ponting’s Future Remains Uncertain as Delhi Capitals Head Coach
One of the major discussions ahead of IPL 2025 is that Delhi Capitals might remove the head coach Ricky Ponting. This is because the team under the former Aussie skipper has managed to reach the finals only once in 2020, but failed to lift its maiden IPL trophy.
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