IPL 2025 Auction Retention Rule: Franchise Can Retain Six Players; Change Uncapped Player Rule IPL 2025 Auction Retention Rule: Franchise Can Retain Six Players; Change Uncapped Player Rule
IPL 2025 Auction Retention Rule: Franchise Can Retain Six Players; Change Uncapped Player Rule

October 9, 2024

IPL 2025 Auction Retention Rule: Franchise Can Retain Six Players; Change Uncapped Player Rule

Ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auctions, the league’s Governing Council announced new player regulations. Teams are now allowed to retain up to six players, which can include a maximum of five capped players and two uncapped players, using either retention or the Right to Match (RTM) option.

The auction purse for IPL 2025 is set at INR 120 crore, with the total salary cap increasing to INR 146 crore. Additionally, a match fee of INR 7.5 lakhs per player has been introduced for the first time in IPL history.

Franchises have the flexibility to choose their combinations for retentions and RTMs, selecting either Indian or foreign players. However, the six retained players (including RTMs) can consist of a maximum of five capped players (both Indian and overseas) and up to two uncapped players.

Overseas players must register for the auction, and there will be penalties for those who withdraw after being selected. Additionally, Indian players who have not participated in international cricket for the past five years can be classified as uncapped. The Impact Player rule will remain in effect for the upcoming season.

This change to limit the number of uncapped players allowed for retention aims to prevent franchises from including too many retired stars as uncapped players, which would enable them to enter the auction with a larger budget. For example, the Chennai Super Kings have listed Indian cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni as an uncapped player, allowing them to retain him at a lower price.

Moreover, 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, in addition to their contracted salary.

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The following decisions were taken in the IPL Governing Council meeting:

  1. IPL franchises can now retain a total of six players from their existing squad, either through retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option. The choice of which players to retain is at the discretion of each franchise. Among the six retained players, teams can have a maximum of five capped players (both Indian and overseas) and two uncapped players.
  2. For IPL 2025, the auction purse for franchises is set at INR 120 crore. The total salary cap will include the auction purse, performance bonuses, and match fees. In comparison, the total salary cap in 2024 was INR 110 crore, which will increase to INR 146 crore in 2025, INR 151 crore in 2026, and INR 157 crore in 2027.
  3. Additionally, a match fee has been introduced for the first time in IPL history. Each playing member, including the Impact Player, will earn a match fee of INR 7.5 lakh per match, in addition to their contracted salary.
  4. Overseas players must register for the auction; if they do not register, they will be ineligible for the following year’s player auction. Any player who registers but becomes unavailable after being picked will be banned from participating in the tournament and the auction for two seasons.
  5. An Indian capped player will be considered uncapped if they have not played in the starting XI for any international matches (Tests, ODIs, or T20Is) in the past five calendar years or do not hold a Central Contract with the BCCI. This rule applies only to Indian players.
  6. The Impact Player regulation will continue to be in effect for the 2025 to 2027 seasons.

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BCCI Likely to Announce Record-setting Five Retentions and One RTM Card Ahead of IPL 2025: Report

As franchises eagerly anticipate the retention rules for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 ahead of the mega-auction, it is expected that they may be allowed to retain the highest number of players in the tournament’s 17-year history.

According to a report by ESPNCricinfo, each of the 10 teams may be permitted to retain up to five players from their current squad, along with one Right to Match (RTM) card before the auction. The RTM card allows a franchise to match the highest bid for a player, giving the original team the opportunity to reclaim that player.

However, there’s an important stipulation: if a franchise decides to retain six players, one of them must be an uncapped player. The specifics regarding how the retentions will be allocated between Indian and overseas players, as well as the retention amounts, remain unclear. The report also indicates that the auction purse could range between INR 115 crore and INR 120 crore.

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IPL Governing Council to Confirm 2025 Retention Policy Amid Exciting Changes

The IPL Governing Council is set to convene during the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting today, where the retention policy for the 2025 season is expected to be confirmed.

A notable point on the agenda is the proposal to reinstate a rule that categorizes players who have retired from international cricket for at least five years as uncapped players. This change would likely allow the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to retain former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for another season without significantly impacting their budget. In the past, the retention price for an uncapped player was INR 3 crore in 2017 and increased to INR 4 crore in 2021.

Franchises are eagerly awaiting the official announcement of the retention rules, which will enable them to restructure their squads and potentially add new talent at the upcoming auction. Some teams will aim to keep their core group of players, while others hope the retention policy will provide them a better opportunity to enhance their squads with quality players for the 2025 season.

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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.