The suspense over the retention policy ahead of the upcoming mega auction for the next season of the Indian Premier League continues as the official announcement on the rules is likely to be further delayed. (More Cricket News)
Earlier reports suggested that the retention policy could be announced by the end of August but that did not happen. As per the latest report on the matter published by Cricbuzz, the announcement could be made around the Annual General Meeting of the BCCI slated to be held in Bengaluru on September 29.
The report states that the "overriding belief" among the franchise owners is that the official unveiling of retention rules could take around two weeks from now or a little less than that.
The report also reveals that franchises will have the time till November 15 to decide on their retentions with the mega auction likely to take place in December. The Right To Match cards are also set to make their return as per the report.
BCCI has had several meetings with the franchise owners but could not reach consensus due to conflicting views among different owners. Reports suggest that some franchises have demanded as many as eight retentions while some have pushed the BCCI to go for a total overhaul with no retentions allowed.
The verdict on the continuation of the 'Impact Player' rule was also divided.
Teams have already started preparing for the mega auction with Rajasthan Royals bringing on board former India coach Rahul Dravid as their head coach. Reports stated that the Royals have already begun discussing the mega auction with Dravid.
Teams like Delhi Capitals and defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders are looking to bolster their support staff after key names left the franchise.
