'There is no rule more unfair': R Ashwin names IPL rule that should be abolished ahead of auction

Veteran Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced his strong opposition to the 'Right To Match' (RTM) rule in the Indian Premier League (IPL), calling it the most unfair regulation for players. Ashwin’s comments come ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, where the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering significant changes, with the auction purse and retention rule being a focal point of discussion.

Also Read: 'For You Michael': Ex-India Player Takes On Vaughan, Exposes England's Poor Performance in Australia

R Ashwin wants RTM rule to go away from IPL

The RTM rule allows a franchise to match the highest bid for one of their former players in the auction, effectively retaining the player at that price. However, R Ashwin believes this rule skews the auction process and undermines the true market value of the player.

“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 five-six crore. He has gone into the auction. Now say Sunrisers want to buy the player back. So, the Sunrisers will bid for the player at a base price of 2 crore,” Ashwin explained, illustrating his point.

He further elaborated on the dynamics of the auction process under the RTM rule: “Then, let us say, KKR and the Mumbai Indians are bidding for the player. The bid goes up to 6 crore and finally, they say, 'The player is sold to the Mumbai Indians for 6 crore.' So, with RTM, the Sunrisers will then bid for and take the player at 6 crores. The problem here is that Sunrisers are happy. But KKR and MI are unhappy. The only party happy is Sunrisers. Because, in the beginning, they gave an attendance bid at the base price.”

Also Read: Tahila fifty gives Australia A 7-wicket win over India A in 3rd T20, hosts sweep series 3-0

Ashwin strongly criticized the fairness of the RTM rule, arguing that it prevents the player from achieving their true market value. “Very unfair. Because, at this time, SRH has to bid 6.20 crore, the other team 6.40 crore, and they should reach 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 [to each team], the players will only go virtually empty-handed. Already, they do not get fair value in the auction,” Ashwin concluded.