Ravichandran Ashwin Criticizes RTM Rule Ahead Of IPL 2025 Mega Auction

Ravichandran Ashwin criticized the RTM rule proposed for IPL 2025's mega auction, arguing it’s unfair to players. He suggests players should have a say in RTM decisions and proposes predetermined contract conditions for fairness.

Experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin questioned the rule of The Right to Match (RTM), which is in the discussion of being implemented in the mega auction for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 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. ESPNcricinfo reported that reinstating the RTM rule was one of the discussion points.

RTM is a rule through which teams can automatically get the player who represented them in the previous season if they match the highest bid placed by a franchise. The 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 on Kris Srikkanth's YouTube show Cheeky Cheeka.

"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 isn't the first instance when Ashwin voiced his concern about the RTM rule. Earlier this month, while speaking on his YouTube channel, 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.