Rajasthan’s victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) can perhaps be included in a man-management lesson in a top business school. But, once the hangover — of a win that could not have been sweeter — dies down, Shane Warne, the team’s captain-cum-coach, and the team’s owners can be rest assured there’ll be more off-the-field work to do than the effort the put in on it during the 44-day tournament.The Royals are sure to face a tough challenge to ensure that they manage to retain the men who won them this title for next season. In days where HR policies are about hiring the best in business at any cost, players such Swapnil Asnodkar, Niraj Patel and Dinesh Salunkhe — initially bought for far lesser fees — are sure to get many tempting offers from other franchises.In fact, it was on the evening after Royals won the final in Navi Mumbai that Warne expressed his fears regarding this issue. “It’ll be tough to retain these players and I’m already fearing that,” he said. “They have done very well so there’s no doubt they’ll be in great demand.”Here’s what can be expected when the transfer window opens next year:•Except for the under-19 cricketers, where BCCI laid down stringent rules and allowed only one-year contracts, the rest of the players either bought in auction or hired from catchment areas have signed three-year contracts with team owners. But the players have been given the choice of expressing their interest in joining any other team if there is an offer and the current owners agree to the request. • If a player is offered a better price by any team, he can ask the Rajasthan management to be relieved, but the clause says that the move will only be possible if the Royals — who have a three-year contract with him — agree.• Franchises interested in buying players from other teams will have to first find out if team owners are interested in selling them, and then bid for a price that may be higher than the amount that the player had been bought for. For instance, there could be a huge demand for Yusuf Pathan who was bought by Royals for $475,000. If the Royals agree to sell him, the buyer will have to shell out an amount agreed with the player, who in turn will have to work out his transfer with Royals.So, while the contracts have been made to prevent teams from mass desertion, the reason for Warne’s worries is based on the moral dilemma the team will face if a player is being offered a much higher price than what they are paying him. If the player puts pressure on them under the circumstances, they may have to either let him go, or match his salary to prevent him from leaving.Cheapest teamGiven that the Rajasthan team was the cheapest in the tournament (with Mohd Kaif the costliest at $600,000), it will be interesting to see if they can preserve the winning combination next season.Even Warne — who has been tagged as the tournament’s best skipper and was bought by Royals at his base price of $450,000 at the auction — is likely to be offered whopping deals. So, for a franchise that used its money so sparingly in the first year, the second season could prove to be much costlier.
