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October 9, 2024
Recent reports suggest that the BCCI will likely permit IPL franchises to retain five players ahead of the IPL Player Auction scheduled for later this year. With no Right to Match (RTM) cards available during the Mega Auctions, the next few months will present significant challenges for the management teams of IPL franchises. Mega Auctions are always complex, particularly for teams that performed well the previous year.
Last season, the Kolkata Knight Riders clinched the IPL trophy, defeating the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who were led by Pat Cummins and powered by Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen. Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Royals showcased their strength by finishing third in the IPL 2024 points table.
However, the upcoming Mega Auction is expected to shake things up. It will likely impact successful teams like the Knight Riders and Royals the most, while franchises such as the Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans, and Mumbai Indians may view this as a chance to rebuild. If the reports about retaining five players and having no RTMs are accurate, we could see some surprising players released by their respective teams.
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Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant will remain with the Delhi Capitals, despite earlier media speculation about the franchise potentially releasing its captain ahead of the upcoming mega auctions. Reports indicate that Pant is the franchise’s top retention choice, especially following his impressive performance in which he scored his sixth Test century, tying MS Dhoni’s record.
According to Cricbuzz, the decision to retain Pant was made after a recent meeting between him and co-owner Parth Jindal in Mumbai. Currently, Pant earns INR 16 crore, and this figure may increase based on the player purse limits and retention fee guidelines set by the BCCI.
Pant made his comeback earlier this year in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after a lengthy injury hiatus, leading the Delhi Capitals as captain. He had a stellar season, scoring 446 runs in 13 matches with an impressive strike rate of 155, finishing as the highest run-scorer of the season. Additionally, Pant is the all-time leading run-scorer for the franchise, with a total of 3,284 runs.
During his rehabilitation, Rishabh Pant focused on improving his fitness, a commitment that has paid off in his performances for India, including the T20 World Cup 2023 and the ongoing Test match against Bangladesh. On Saturday, he scored an impressive 109 runs off 128 balls, featuring 13 boundaries and 4 sixes.
The BCCI has not yet announced the IPL retention policies. However, reports suggest that if the Indian cricket board allows franchises to retain more than five players, the Delhi Capitals are keen to keep Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav. They are also interested in retaining overseas players like Jake Fraser-McGurk and Tristan Stubbs. Additionally, if the IPL rules permit the retention of an uncapped player, the franchise would likely aim to hold on to Abhishek Porel.
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