IPL Auction is one of the biggest days of the year for the foreign players. Many popular foreign players have become rich thanks to their talent and the way the IPL Auction works. Mega auctions are the place where the franchises need to strategize the most. The hardest decisions in a mega auction is to decide which players should the team retain.
In 2014, the BCCI introduced the Joker card, also called the Right to Match, under which a team can match the final bid of the player and get him back in the team. For example, if RCB releases Daniel Sams ahead of IPL Auction 2022 and CSK buy him for 1 crore, the auctioneer will ask RCB if they want to use RTM and get Sams back. If RCB say yes, then Sams would play for them.
In the past, many teams have used this RTM card to get their popular foreign players. Here’s a list of the top five instances.
5. One of the most popular foreign players in IPL – Faf du Plessis
The Chennai Super Kings and the Rising Pune Supergiant are the two teams that Faf du Plessis has represented in IPL. But, du Plessis could have been representing the Delhi Capitals now if CSK had not used their RTM in 2014.
The Delhi Capitals (then known as Delhi Daredevils) won the bidding war to sign du Plessis with a bid of 4.75 crores. However, CSK matched their bid and got the South African star back in the squad.
4. Rashid Khan
Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has only played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. However, the Orange Army did not retain him ahead of the 2018 mega auction. The Punjab Kings managed to secure his services with a bid of 9 crores at IPL Auction 2018.
Unfortunately, Hyderabad did not allow Punjab to take Rashid as they used the RTM card. Apart from Punjab, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals also showed interest in Rashid Khan’s services.
3. David Miller
David Miller was match-winner for the Punjab Kings during his prime. Punjab released him before 2018 auction and used their RTM to get him back.
Miller entered the auction with a base price of 1.5 crores. The Mumbai Indians, the Delhi Capitals and the Sunrisers Hyderabad got into a bidding war for him, with Hyderabad and Delhi giving up when Mumbai submitted a 3 crores bid. However, Punjab did not allow Mumbai to take Miller.
2. Kagiso Rabada
IPL 2020 Purple Cap winner Kagiso Rabada has played a vital role in the rise of the Delhi Capitals. Rabada entered IPL Auction 2018 with a base price of 1.5 crores, and the Chennai Super Kings almost signed him for 4.2 crores.
However, the Delhi Capitals did not allow that as they used RTM to buy Rabada back. One can only imagine what could have happened if Rabada had become a part of the CSK squad then.
1. One of the most popular foreign players in IPL – Kieron Pollard
Mumbai Indians has been the home of Kieron Pollard for a decade now. Pollard has been a part of the Mumbai-based franchise in all five seasons when they became champions.
However, their journey could have ended in 2018, when the Delhi Capitals almost bought Pollard. Delhi beat Punjab with a bid of 5.4 crores for Pollard but Mumbai used the Right to Match and got their West Indian star back.
