IPL 2025 Auction Retention Rules: Right after BCCI confirmed a mega auction for the IPL 2025 many rumours started to float reading the IPL 2025 mega auction rules. Particularly, the implementation of RTMs in the auction has become the most discussed topic in the cricket community.
Though BCCI introduced the RTM in 2014 it was last used in 2018 and since then BCCI has never allowed the teams to use them during the auction.
With much speculation around the IPL 2025 auction retention rules, BCCI finally made some announcements regarding them. Right before heading to the topic, we know you are very curious to know ‘What is RTM in IPL auction’.
The Right to Match or RTM is an option used during the Indian Premier League(IPL) auction. It allows the franchise to retain a player who represented the team in the previous season if they match the highest bid placed by another franchise during the auction.
BCCI planned to host the IPL 2025 mega auction in late November this year in Riyadh while announced October 31 as the deadline for the teams to submit their retained players list. IPL 2025 retention live streaming will start at 4.30 PM IST on October 31.
Though this year’s auction was planned to be hosted outside India, fans can still enjoy the IPL 2025 auction live streaming from their home.
IPL 2025 Auction Retention Rules
- Each team can retain six players from their existing squad, either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.
- The franchise can decide on a combination of retentions and RTMs.
- A team can retain a maximum of five capped players whether Indian or Overseas and a maximum of 2 uncapped players.
- The auction purse value of each team has been set at INR 120 crores while it was INR 100 crores for the last auction.
- The total salary cap will now consist of an auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees.
- Previously in 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + incremental performance pay) was INR 110 Crs which will now be INR 146 Crs (2025), INR 151 Crs (2026) and INR 157 Crs (2027).
- BCCI has set various retention slabs for the player’s retention. The first retention must be INR 18 crore, the second INR 14 crore, the third INR 11 crore, the fourth INR 18 crore, the fifth INR 14 crore and the uncapped Rs 4 crore but franchises are also allowed to divide the 75cr retention amount among 5 capped players.
- If a team choose to retain a player for more than INR 18 Cr then the franchise should retain their second or third player for less than the desired amount. Teams can flex the retention amount as they wish but should be within the designated amount of INR 43 Crore(18+14+11) for three retentions.
- Ex: If CSK wishes to retain Gaikwad, Jadeja and Dube as their first three retentions and decides to retain Gaikwad for INR 20 Cr(which is INR 2 Cr over the first retention amount), then CSK must retain Jadeja for INR 12 Cr or Dube for INR 9 Cr which in turn will meet the INR 43 crore budget for the first three retentions.
- As per the IPL committee rules, each franchise can have 25 players in their squad, out of which a maximum of 8 can be foreign players. In Playing 11, each team can have a maximum of 4 overseas players in the mix.
- As an overseas player, he has to register for the Mega Auction. In case if he fails to do so, then he will be ineligible to register in the following year’s player auction.
- As per the new rule, an overseas player will have to mandatorily register for the mega auction (2025) if he fails to do so he will miss the subsequent small auction too.
- If any player registers in the player auction and after getting picked by a team and later makes himself unavailable before the start of the season, he will get banned from participating in the tournament and player auction for two seasons.
- A capped player will be considered an uncapped player if the player has not featured in the starting XI in any international games(Test, T20I, ODI) in the last five calendar years or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI. This will only be applicable to the Indian players.
- BCCI will finalize the auction players list and group them into three different categories: Capped, Uncapped, and Overseas players.
- Capped – Indian players who represented the country’s senior team in any format at least once.
- Uncapped – Indian domestic players who are in the first-class circuit but haven’t represented India in any international matches.
- Overseas – Players who are not from India. This category will contain all capped, uncapped non-Indian players.
- A team can compromise a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 25 players in their squad.
- A team can hold a maximum of eight foreign players with only four being allowed to field at one time during the match.
IPL 2025 Player Salary Cap
BCCI also explained the salary cap for the retained players based on the team’s decision on the number of players retained. Following are the salary cap details announced by the BCCI for the 2025 season.
Frachinse can retain a maximum of five capped players (Indian/Overseas) and a maximum of two uncapped players. Each uncapped player’s retention cost will be valued at INR 4 crores and the amount will be subtracted from the total purse for each team which is INR 120 crores.
BCCI has set various retention slabs for the player’s retention. The first retention must be INR 18 crore, the second INR 14 crore, the third INR 11 crore, the fourth INR 18 crore, the fifth INR 14 crore and the uncapped Rs 4 crore but franchises are also allowed to divide the 75cr retention amount among 5 capped players.
The five-capped player retention will be valued as follows:
- Retained Player 1 – INR 18 crores
- Retained Player 2 – INR 14 crores
- Retained Player 3 – INR 11 crores
- Retained Player 4 – INR 18 crores
- Retained Player 5 – INR 14 crores
If a team decides to retain a total of six players which consists of five capped and one uncapped player then a total of INR 79 crores will be deducted from the purse value and the team will have INR 41 crore to spend during the auction. As the team retained six players they will not be eligible to use the RTM option.
If a team decides to retain a total of five players which consists of four capped and one uncapped then a total of INR 65 crores will be deducted from the team’s purse value and will be left out with INR 55 crores to spend during the auction event.
If a team choose to retain a player for more than INR 18 Cr then the franchise should retain their second or third player for less than the desired amount. Teams can flex the retention amount as they wish but should be within the designated amount of INR 43 Crore(18+14+11) for three retentions.
Ex: If CSK wishes to retain Gaikwad, Jadeja and Dube as their first three retentions and decides to retain Gaikwad for INR 20 Cr(which is INR 2 Cr over the first retention amount), then CSK must retain Jadeja for INR 12 Cr or Dube for INR 9 Cr which in turn will meet the INR 43 crore budget for the first three retentions.
How does RTM work in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction?
A franchise makes use of the RTM option to retain their existing player during the auction. A team’s RTM count will be decided based on the number of retentions.
EX: If a team retains four players out of their six retentions, then the team will have two RTMs.
BCCI made some updates on the way the Right To Match (RTM) works in the auction. Previously, the team could simply agree to match the highest bid amount at the auction to claim the player but this time around, the highest bidder will be given one final opportunity to further raise their bid before the team holding the RTM claims the player.
For Example: If Faf du Plessis is being auctioned and Chennai Super Kings has placed the highest bid of INR 8 crores for him, then Royal Challengers Bengaluru(Faf’s current IPL franchise) will be asked if they wish to use their RTM(if they have one).
If RCB agrees, then CSK will be given one more chance to increase and place a final bid. If CSK now raise it to INR 10 crores, then RCB can use their RTM and re-sign Faf du Plessis for INR 10 crores.
