The toxic tip of the iceberg: Polar dualities of IPL franchise-player bond thin the line between greed and loyalty
Renowned former India cricketer Ravi Shastri had given a fair warning to the world that the sport is heading towards the franchise direction similar to football, when players' allegiances and priorities were a hot topic. While most, if not all, understood the point that Shastri was trying to convey, not many anticipated how indelible the mark would be.
Cut to a few years later, the news-sphere has been dominated by talks breaking down between certain franchises and players, cryptic tweets, and behind-the-back talks. It is the best that cricket has to offer to replicate the madness of football's summer transfer window.
There was a fair warning early on in the competition's history that something of the sort could dominate the scene eventually. Back in 2009, Rajasthan Royals' Ravindra Jadeja attempted to seal a deal with another franchise after not signing a contract, and ended up with a one-year suspension for it. That's the short version of it, but since then there is certainly a 'legal' version of the gray area loophole that has been plaguing the circuit since then.
If there is anyone who thinks that players head into the auction completely blindfolded, they are wrong. They are right if the blindfold they are talking about is transparent.
IPL franchises have taken on the task of playing two competitions in this modern era. The obvious one is the cricket field, which is their purpose in the first place. Secondly, the one which wears them out, is the one played in the board rooms, through calls, deft texts, and mostly in dry-cleaned suits rather than the jersey.
There is a misconception that the Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions are conducted on a level playing field at a designated venue on a given particular day. The reality is that the off-season, which is so over-looked as an avenue to capitalize, is the biggest auction floor of them all.
It is during the off-season that franchises finalize which prospects to bid for from their trials and scouting reports, to design a strategy that will enable them to create a balanced core, but most importantly, it is the time to poach. Franchises are known to lure players with the promises for captaincy, a pay rise, a new start, and so much more, on the back of their heavier purses.
The assurance of poaching a bigger contract, outside the confines of the retention slabs supersedes the loyalty factor in this day-and-age.
Franchise get a hold of players' talents in the auction, but not their loyalty
Virat Kohli, and a few select other players, who realize the value of the platform offered by the franchises, are a dying breed that values loyalty over everything else. A majority of the current crop is behind the biggest pay cheque, and with auctions being unfurled on a constant basis, they are arguably spoilt for choices.
With demand being perennial, and high quality being scarce, players always have the upper hand, despite the constraints of the salary cap at times. It is already a tough task for franchises to build an identity, and a core when they have to brace for changes constantly. On top of that, if players start making unreasonable demands at the worst possible time, it puts a serious dent in the relationship.
Not all are of the same kind though. Shubman Gill reportedly took a pay cut to accommodate all of the retentions for the team's cause. Nitish Kumar Reddy was eligible for a much higher payout after being a capped player, even in the auction as an emerging all-rounder, but he also took a pay-cut. It's not all lost, but a few bad apples are enough to spoil the majority of a large batch.
Franchise-Player relations slowly turning into marriages for convenience
It will be hard to cultivate a loyalty-based mindset firstly with the constant mega auctions, and secondly with the notion that the 'grass is always greener on the other side'. At the same time, it is also the franchise's responsibility to cultivate an environment for the player to be loyal, in other words, give them reasons to stay.
It is not a sin for players to consider their own interests above everything else, as long as it makes sense, and does not cross a certain line. Amicable exits are rare, with Glenn Maxwell recently being on the receiving end of one. He spoke very highly of the RCB management for explaining his release.
"I got a phone call from Mo Bobat and Andy Flower. I sat there on a zoom call, and they sort of explained to me the decision not to be retained. And, it was actually a really beautiful exit meeting, if that if that could be possible. We ended up talking about the game for about half an hour and talking about their strategy and what they were looking to get to do, going forward. So, I was really happy with that,” said Maxwell on ESPNCricinfo’s Around the wicket show.
It is the very same Maxwell, who had offered insight into how toxic life with an IPL franchise can be. That is the toxic aspect of the IPL.
"I volunteered to do press that night, but Sehwag said he would instead. Upon getting onto the team bus, I found I'd been deleted from the main WhatsApp group. What was going on here? By the time we reached the hotel my phone was blowing up, with Sehwag having unloaded on me as a "big disappointment", blaming me for not taking responsibility as captain, and all the rest. It was unpleasant, especially when I thought we had parted on good terms,” an excerpt from Maxwell's book read.
In an ideal environment, the franchise management and players join forces to drive the team forward. However, it often ends up being a case of use and throw.
Lack of communication in an era where it is given so much importance is a huge irony.
In the defense of the players, no one likes to be in the dark. Which was the case for some of them during the build-up to the auction. Shreyas Iyer, for instance, the 2024 IPL winning captain, did not know whether he was on KKR's retention list or not until the last minute.
Similarly, Iyer's teammate at KKR, Mitchell Starc, is still waiting to hear from the side despite being their record acquisition and playing an integral role in their title triumph.
However, he spoke very highly of the team culture and the RCB management for explaining his release and termed it as a really "beautiful" exit meeting.
Auctions nothing short of an opportunity for players and franchise to hold each other at ransom
The IPL has been reduced to a swamp of stubborn and bickering cricketers and franchises, hell-bent on wanting the best for themselves with little room for compromise. The sad fact is that often during these face-offs, the parties lose a grip over the fundamental values.
When players ask for astronomical sums which hamper the teams' retention plans, they forget the platform they availed through the team. On the other hand, when franchises mercilessly discard a player, they forget the contributions they have made to make them relevant.
As a result, it is no surprise to see how the relationship between so many players and their respective franchises have broken down. Pant's tweet about how much money he can get through a mega auction before the retention list's announcement, was borderline unprofessional.
Arshdeep Singh unfollowing PBKS and eradicating any possible fact that he ever played for the franchise, is perhaps purely out of hate. The fact that the franchise chose to keep a hold of their already heavy purse because Arshdeep might not fit the billing of a first-retention price tag, is understandably hard to digest from the player's perspective. There might be a completely different narrative or theory here, but that is the thing with icebergs, you don't see or understand most of it.
There are not many players worth their price tag when it comes to the retention list, but the amount on top of their market value is arguably for their loyalty (in some cases, brand value).
Franchises reap what they sow, get what they give, and end up with what they deserve
Franchises try to conduct the ugly part of the business behind the facade of diplomacy. There are only a few times when the veil was shed, and one of the most memorable instances in recent times was when Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) owner Sanjiv Goenka tore into captain KL Rahul out in the open after a humbling defeat to the SunRisers Hyderabad.
There are numerous instances of toxicity in the IPL, but to witness one live on the feed, was an eye-opener for several. No matter how much cushion of family and loyalty are cast abound, the reality is that the players are just money-making tools for the franchises.
KL Rahul, in turn, made a massive statement by declining LSG's offer of top retention.
There are also feel-good instances where franchises and players played their part well, and are reaping the benefits of it now. For instance, Rinku Singh hung around with KKR despite a sub-optimal contract, showcased his loyalty, and put in his best effort all the time. Now, he is the franchise's top retention while KKR have an established player on their hands.
Auctions tend to bring out the best and worst in both franchises and players, but this mega auction retention episode could not have done a better job of driving that point home.