R Ashwin questions RTM Rule, proposes a new approach: 'Who grants them the authority to...'

Ravichandran Ashwin believes that the BCCI should consider tweaking the Right to Match rule in IPL auctions to provide some advantages to the players. The BCCI has yet to finalize the number of retentions and RTM cards for the upcoming season of IPL, as there is a lack of agreement among the franchises. Reports suggest that successful teams from the previous season, such as Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, are pushing for more than 3 retentions. On the other hand, franchises like Punjab Kings are advocating for minimal retentions to have more flexibility during the auction. The board is currently in discussions to find a middle ground that satisfies all parties involved.

RTM is a rule through which teams can automatically get the player who represented them in the previous season if they match the highest bid placed by a franchise. The RTM rule was first introduced in 2014 and has not been used in IPL auctions since 2018.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore has offered a unique suggestion in the past and suggested that teams should be allowed to retain players if they have a fair market value, and every team should have 8 RTM options to sign their former players back.

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However, it seems that Ashwin is not a very big fan of RTM. He feels that when a franchise releases a player, that means he is not their top four or five players.

“If a franchise has released a player because they don’t see him in their top four or five, then what gives them the right to jump in during an auction,” Ashwin said on Kris Srikkanth's YouTube show Cheeky Cheeka.

Ashwin's suggestion for RTM rule

The ace spinner suggested that BCCI should tweak the RTM rule so that players have the right to choose whether to re-join the franchise.

“You give the option to the player asking if he wants to be right to match. There should be a contract binding the two parties, which says he can be RTMed only if the price is X amount and leave that pre-determined amount to be decided by the player," he added.

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