IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Ravichandran Ashwin Criticizes RTM Rule as ‘Unfair’, Here’s the Reasoning

New Delhi: Ace spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin recently expressed his thoughts on the Right to Match (RTM) option in the IPL mega auctions. Reports suggest that many IPL franchises are proposing the introduction of multiple RTMs in the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.

Earlier this month, there were discussions during a closed-door meeting that took place at the BCCI headquarters about the mega auction for IPL 2025. According to reports the reinstation of the RTM rule was one of the discussed points.

The RTM cards were scrapped in the last IPL mega auction ahead of the 2022 season. However, the rule is set to make a comeback in the forthcoming edition of the IPL player auction. RTM rule was first introduced in 2014 and has not been used in IPL auctions since 2018.

As the deliberation around the retention rule and the use of RTM continues to be discussed, Ashwin isn’t a fan of the RTM at least not in its current form.

“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? You give the option to the player, asking if he wants to be right to match,” Ashwin said.

“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.

This was not the first time when Ashwin did not concern his instance about the RTM rule. Earlier this month, the veteran spinner claimed that there is no rule that is more unfair than RTM.

“There is no rule more unfair for a player than RTM. Because how has the RTM rule been so far? For example, there is a player called X. He is on a team called, let us say, Sunrisers. His current value is around Rs five-six crores. He has gone into the auction. Now let’s say the Sunrisers want to buy the player back. So, the Sunrisers will bid for the player at a base price of 2 crore,” he said.

“Then, let us say KKR and the Mumbai Indians are bidding for the player. The bid goes up to six crores, and finally, they say, ‘The player is sold to the Mumbai Indians for six crores.’ So, with RTM, the Sunrisers will then bid for and take the player at six crores. The problem here is that Sunrisers are happy. But KKR and MI are unhappy. The only person (party) happy is Sunrisers. Because, in the beginning, they gave attendance bid at base price,” he added.

Reports suggest that several teams have expressed their concerns to retain their cores. Therefore, it is predicted that a significant number of retentions and RTMs could be allowed for each team. The BCCI is expected to take their final decision regarding this matter soon.