The BCCI has set a salary cap of Rs 90 crore for the 10 Indian Premier League franchises, including the two new entrants, for the next season and allowed a maximum of four retentions for the eight established teams. 

The new franchises – Lucknow and Ahmedabad – will be given the option of picking three players from the auction pool after the existing teams announce their choice of retentions. “The BCCI had sent a letter to all the franchises, updating them about the new rules, where four retentions will cost a team Rs 42 crore while three retentions will lead to a reduction of Rs 33 crore,” a franchise official told PTI. 

“Two players retained will mean that Rs 24 crore is deducted while a single player retained means that one has to shell out Rs 14 crore out of the 90 crore purse.” The official informed that the retention amount and the amount paid to the player is not always the same. 

In case of four retentions, it could be either three Indians and one foreign player or two Indians and as many foreigners. When the new franchises select, they will have the right to pick two Indians and one foreign player from the available pool. 

In case of uncapped players, the old franchises will get a maximum of two picks while the new ones will have one. The letter stated that the entire month of November could be used for retention. Lucknow and Ahmedabad would get a chance to pick their three players between December 1 and 25, before the auction in early January. 

In case of salary purse deductions per player, there are separate figures for four distinct slabs. When four players are retained in ‘Slab 1’, ‘Player 1’ will be valued at Rs 16 crore, ‘Player 2’ at Rs 12 crore, ‘Player 3’ at Rs 8 crore and ‘Player 4’ at Rs 6 crore. 

For ‘Slab 2’, ‘Player 1’ is valued at Rs 15 crore, ‘Player 2’ at Rs 11 crore and ‘Player 3’ at Rs 7 crore. For ‘Slab 3’, in which two retentions are possible, ‘Player 1’ is valued at Rs 14 crore and ‘Player 2’ at Rs 10 crore. ‘Slab 4’ will have one retention available for Rs 14 crore. However, in case of an uncapped player being retained, the deduction will be Rs 4 crore.