After weeks of deliberation, Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises will be required to share their list of retained players before the mega auction for the 2025 season. By virtue of the retentions, the ten teams would make clear the players who are integral to their plans for future.
Before the IPL retention deadline of October 31 5pm IST, we answer some of the key questions.
How many players can an IPL franchise retain?
Each IPL franchise can retain a maximum of six members from their 2024 squads of which five can be capped players (those who have played international cricket) and two can be uncapped Indians.
What is the cost of players during the IPL retention process?
Each franchise has a purse of ₹120 crore – a 20% increase from last year – to build their IPL 2025 teams. The first player retained will come at a cost of ₹18 crore, the second for ₹14 crore, third for ₹11 crore, ₹18 crore again for the fourth and ₹14 crore for the fifth. Meanwhile, the cost of every uncapped Indian player retained, will be ₹4 crore.
So if a team retains five capped players, they will lose at least ₹75 crore from their purse of ₹120 crore.
Can this ₹75 crore be split as the franchise wants?
Yes. The IPL Governing Council has notified the franchises that they can distribute the ₹75 crore retention pool the way they deem fit for the five capped players. If an IPL franchise spends over ₹75 crore to keep five capped players, then the higher amount will be deducted from the overall ₹120 crore.
If there’s one player retention by a franchise, they will lose ₹18 crore. If there’s two retentions then at least ₹32 crore. Followed by, at least ₹43 crore (three retentions) and ₹61 crore (four retentions).
If a team retains five capped players, the ₹75 crore can be deducted in any proportion. So, for example, if the first player is retained for ₹20 crore, the second can come in at ₹12 crore, provided the team reaches an agreement with the players involved.
What is the Right to Match (RTM) card?
Besides retaining players on the deadline, franchises can stick around with their previous squad members at the IPL mega auction. A franchise that retains less than six players on the deadline will have RTM options available to them to buy back players at the mega auction. So, say, a team retains only two players by the Thursday deadline, they will have four RTM options to use at the mega auction which will reportedly take place in November.
Subsequently, if a franchise retains no players, they will enter the IPL mega auction with six RTM options. And conversely, a team that retains six players, which seems improbable, will have no RTM options at their disposal at the auction.
If a team retains five capped players, they can use their solitary RTM card to buy back only an uncapped player.
How will RTM work at the IPL mega auction?
The RTM rule allows a franchise to buy back a player they previously had by matching the highest bid made by another team. However, a new twist will be introduced compared to its last use in 2018.
At the 2025 mega auction, if a team uses the RTM option, the franchise that initially made the winning bid can increase their offer to any amount. The player’s previous team would then need to match this increased bid if they wish to reacquire the player.
An example of this would be if Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Rishabh Pant enters the auction and another team wins the bidding for him. DC can use their RTM option to match the highest bid. The bidding team then gets a chance to raise their bid to any amount, which DC would have to match again to buy back Pant.
Who is an uncapped player?
The IPL has revived a rule it had scrapped in 2021, which allowed capped Indian players who retired or have not played international cricket in the last five years to be categorised as uncapped players. It means Chennai Super Kings can retain legendary MS Dhoni as an uncapped player, at ₹4 crore, unless they reach a deal to pay him more.
The rule also applies to players like Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Amit Mishra, Vijay Shankar, Mayank Markande, Karn Sharma and Rishi Dhawan among others, should their respective franchises wish to retain them as uncapped players.
Can players refuse to be retained?
Yes. If a player doesn’t want to stick with an IPL franchise, they can refuse an offer to be retained and enter the mega auction as a result. Unlike the mini-auction phase, there are no player trades allowed between the retention deadline and start of 2025 season.
When is the IPL 2025 mega auction?
There is no confirmed date or venue for the IPL mega auction just yet but it has been speculated that it will be in the last week of November. As with previous mega auctions, it is expected to be a two day affair.