Ravi Ashwin explains why RTM card is unfair for players ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction

India off-spinner Ravi Ashwin has been with Rajasthan Royals since IPL 2022.

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) continues to mull over how many retentions and Right to Match (RTM) cards should be permitted to the franchises ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction, senior off-spinner Ravi Ashwin has given a hot take that the RTM card is unfair on the players.

Last month, the BCCI officials met with all ten franchise owners to discuss the number and combination of the retention and RTM cards for the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Some owners demanded as high as eight retentions while some said four would be sufficient. It is believed through a report in Cricbuzz that the board is likely to allow the franchises to retain up to six players through a combination of retention and RTM cards. It is to be noted that there were no RTM cards in the IPL 2022 mega auction.

In his YouTube video, Ravi Ashwin explained why the RTM card is often unfair to the players. Ashwin said that if a franchise has made up their mind to use an RTM card on their player, then they wouldn’t be willing to bid more on him, thus the player is unlikely to get his market price.

In his YouTube video, the Rajasthan Royals cricketer said, “There is nothing 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 the Sunrisers. There is a player in the SunRisers. His current value is around five to six crores. He went to an auction. SunRisers have to buy the player back. So, the SunRisers will bid for the player at a base price of two crore.

“KKR and the Mumbai Indians are bidding for the player. The bid is up to six crores. The player was sold to the Mumbai Indians for six crores. So, the SunRisers will bid for the player at six crores. The problem here is that SunRisers are happy. KKR and Mumbai Indians are unhappy. The only person happy is SunRisers. Because, for the first time, they gave attendance. After that, there is no fair value at all. There is a bidder.”

Problem with RTM is that it is not fair value for the player: Ravi Ashwin

The 37-year-old strongly believes that a player gets less money in the auction than what he deserves when a team uses an RTM card on him.

Ravi Ashwin added, “The KKR and Mumbai Indians are fighting. For a team, it has gone up to six crores. What does SRH say? You bought the player, right? Return the player. Like Soori says in Vennila Kabaddi Kuzhu, they are fooling you. We’ll start again. Very unfair. Because, at this time, SRH has to get the fair value of the player. The problem with RTM is that it is not fair value for the player. So, if you give three RTMs, the players will only go empty-handed. Already, there is no fair value in the auction.”

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