‘Age Is Just A Number’: AB de Villiers’ on Faf Du Plessis’ Retention By RCB For IPL 2025 ‘Age Is Just A Number’: AB de Villiers’ on Faf Du Plessis’ Retention By RCB For IPL 2025
‘Age Is Just A Number’: AB de Villiers’ on Faf Du Plessis’ Retention By RCB For IPL 2025

October 7, 2024

‘Age Is Just A Number’: AB de Villiers’ on Faf Du Plessis’ Retention By RCB For IPL 2025

In the Indian Premier League (IPL), each franchise can keep up to six players from their current squad. This can be done through player retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.

Recently, legendary South African cricketer AB de Villiers expressed his belief that Virat Kohli will remain loyal to the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the 2025 IPL season. De Villiers shared his thoughts during a recent episode of his YouTube show, “The 360 Show,” following the announcement of new player retention rules and auction formats by the IPL governing body.

During the episode, De Villiers addressed concerns about his teammate Faf du Plessis turning 40 in July. He emphasized that age should not be a concern, saying,

“Age is just a number, guys. I don’t see why his turning 40 would be an issue. He has been there for a few seasons, and the players are used to him. I think Virat will back him with all his experience,” said AB.

Faf du Plessis last played for the South African national team in 2021, but he continues to be a strong performer in T20 leagues. Over his career in 392 T20 matches, he has scored 10,929 runs, averaging 32.81, with a strike rate of 136.27. He has achieved six centuries and 76 fifties in this format.

In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Faf has played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Rising Pune Supergiant (RPG), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). In 145 IPL matches, he has amassed 4,571 runs at an average of 35.99 and a strike rate over 136, including 37 fifties. His highest score in the IPL is 96.

Since becoming the captain of RCB in 2022, Faf has scored 1,636 runs in 45 innings at an average of 38.05 and a strike rate of nearly 147, including 15 fifties. Last season, he made 438 runs at an average of 29.20 and a strike rate of 161.62, contributing significantly to RCB’s playoff qualification after a challenging start to the tournament.

In July, the IPL Governing Council held discussions with the owners of all 10 franchises at the BCCI Headquarters. They met again in Bengaluru on September 28 to finalize the IPL Player Regulations for the 2025-2027 seasons.

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Key Decisions from the IPL Governing Council Meeting: Retentions, Auction Changes, and New Regulations for 2025 and Beyond

During the recent IPL Governing Council meeting, several key decisions were made:

  • Player Retention: Each IPL franchise can retain a total of six players from their current squad. This can be done through direct retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.
  • Retention Options: Franchises have the flexibility to decide their combination of retained players and those acquired through RTM. Among the six retained players, there can be a maximum of five capped players (both Indian and overseas) and up to two uncapped players.
  • Auction Purse: For IPL 2025, the auction purse for each franchise has been set at INR 120 crore. The total salary cap now includes the auction purse, incremental performance pay, and match fees. In 2024, the total salary cap was INR 110 crore, which will increase to INR 146 crore in 2025, INR 151 crore in 2026, and INR 157 crore in 2027.
  • Match Fee: For the first time in IPL history, a match fee has been introduced. Each playing member, including the Impact Player, will receive a match fee of INR 7.5 lakh per match. This fee is in addition to their contracted salary.
  • Overseas Player Registration: All overseas players must register for the Big Auction. If an overseas player fails to register, they will be ineligible to participate in the following year’s player auction.
  • Player Availability: If a player registers for the auction, gets picked, and then becomes unavailable before the season starts, they will be banned from participating in the tournament and the player auction for two seasons.
  • Capped to Uncapped Status: An Indian player will be considered uncapped if they have not played in the starting XI of any international matches (Test, ODI, or T20I) in the five calendar years leading up to the relevant season or if they do not hold a Central Contract with the BCCI. This rule applies only to Indian players.
  • Impact Player Regulation: The Impact Player Regulation will continue to be in effect for the 2025 to 2027 cycle.

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author
Katarzyna Nowak

Katarzyna Nowak is a seasoned writer with over five years of experience in editorial content, news reporting, and cricket sportsbook app reviews. As an author for IPLWin365 (IPL365 News), she combines her deep understanding of the sports betting industry with a passion for cricket, delivering insightful and accurate content that keeps readers informed and engaged.