Understanding the RTM Factor in IPL Auctions and its Impact on Teams' Strategies

The BCCI announced new rules for the upcoming IPL Auction, allowing each franchise to retain up to six of their players from the previous season's squad. If a franchise chooses to retain fewer than six players, they will have the option to use the Right to Match (RTM) on those players during the auction.

"The 6 retentions / RTM’s can have a maximum of 5 capped players (Indian & Overseas) and a maximum of 2 uncapped players," the IPL stated.

Apart from Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals, every other team entered the auction with RTM cards in their pocket.

A franchise was allowed to use the option to match the highest bid for the player at the auction who was part of their squad in the previous season. However, the updated rule for this auction allowed an IPL team placing the original bid on the player to go one bid higher after the RTM card was used. Meanwhile, the franchise with the RTM card had to match the new bid to retain the players, or else the player would join the team placing the original bid.

Delhi Capitals used it wisely to re-sign their former stars Mukesh Kumar (INR 8 crore) and Jake Frase McGurk (INR 9 crore). They also raised the paddle for RTM to get Rishabh Pant back after Lucknow Super Giants made an INR 20.75 crore bid for them but they failed to match their new incremental bid for INR 27 crore. LSG had identified Rishabh as their successor to Rahul for next season, and they didn't want to lose him, which made him place an outlandish 27 crore final bid from the original 20.75 crore.

Many expected Royal Challengers Bengaluru to use it for the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Will Jacks and Glenn Maxwell, but they didn't raise the paddle for them. They eventually sampled it to win back left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh ( ₹35 lakh to ₹50 lakh).

Gujarat Titans also tried to bring Noor Ahmed back into their squad with the RTM paddle raised for CSK's ₹5 crore bid. However, they failed to match their final ₹10 crore bid, and Chennai managed to get him back into their squad.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings were one such franchise who were very adamant about using the RTM option for Arshdeep Singh and they signed him for INR 18 crore after Sunrisers Hyderabad set a final price on him from INR 15.75 crore to INR 18 crore.