IPL 2025 retention and mega auction rules revealed

The much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) retention, mega auction rules, total auction purse amount, and other IPL rules finally have been revealed for the 2025 season. 

Each of the ten teams can retain up to six players. Also, the Right to Match (RTM) is back for the IPL 2025 auction. The auction purse will be INR 20 crore more, as the purse will now be INR 120 crore. 

According to a recent ESPNcricinfo report, each team can retain up to six players, including one uncapped Indian player. Apart from the one uncapped Indian player, all five other players can be Indian or overseas. Moreover, the RTM option has returned for the IPL 2025 auction, which was absent during the IPL 2022 mega auction.

The ESPNcricinfo report further added, “The six players a franchise is allowed to retain can be via the direct retention route, a combination of retention and RTM options, or just RTM options.”

Cost of player retention

The uncapped Indian player retention will cost INR 4 crore, unchanged from the last version. The other five players will cost a total of INR 75 crores. While the first three retentions will follow the costs of INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore, and INR 11 crore, the next two retentions will follow the costs of INR 18 crore and INR 14 crore. 

Talking about the uncapped Indian players, it can also consider the former Indian players as uncapped who didn’t appear in the playing XI in any international cricket format in the last five years or have no BCCI central contract for the last five years. This rule was originally introduced in 2008, but it was never used. Later, in 2021, this rule was scrapped. As this rule has returned, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) can retain the former captain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player. 

SEE ALSO: Bravo switches to KKR as mentor in IPL 2025

Impact Player is staying

Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has retained the Impact Player rule for the IPL 2025. While this Impact Player rule was introduced in the IPL 2023, it has created some confusion and controversies. 

Players will earn the additional match fees from the IPL 2025 

In the meantime, the BCCI secretary also revealed that each player will earn an additional INR 7.5 lakhs as the per-game match fee. So, if a player appears in all the league matches for his team, the player will earn INR 1.05 crores apart from his contract value.  

In a historic move to celebrate consistency and champion outstanding performances in the #IPL, we are thrilled to introduce a match fee of INR 7.5 lakhs per game for our cricketers! A cricketer playing all league matches in a season will get Rs. 1.05 crores in addition to his…

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) September 28, 2024