“There is nothing more unfair for a player than RTM” – Ravichandran Ashwin shares his views on retention rule

India’s veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is not a big fan of the Right to Match card in the IPL mega-auction. Ashwin reckons the franchise is the only one that is happy with the RTM rule as the player is not getting his deserved price.

It has been reported that many franchises are in favor of using multiple RTMs in the upcoming auction. However, Ashwin feels the deserving player doesn’t get the right amount in the mega auction when he is retained by the franchise through RTM.

Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube Channel, “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. Kumudha is 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,” he added.

Ashwin revealed that other teams who are involved in a bidding war will be left unhappy when the RTM card is used by a franchise.

“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,” Ashwin added in the same video.

BCCI is yet to reveal the retention and RTM rules for the upcoming mega auction.