IPL 2025 Mega Auction: Six Retentions, RTM comeback confirmed, Impact Player to continue

Indian Premier League’s General Council (IPL GC) held a meeting with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday, September 28, in Bengaluru. As per the latest development, the franchises can retain up to six players along with the Right-to-match (RTM) card making its comeback into the upcoming IPL 2025 auctions.

Furthermore, the much-debated Impact Player rule will continue until 2027. Besides, among agendas finalised for the mega auction, the total purse for the IPL auction will be bigger than last year. Notably, the purse will carry INR 120 crore (USD 14.33 million approximately), which exceeds the last edition by a whopping INR 20 crore.

Moreover, the IPL franchises will now have to retain at least one uncapped player while there will be no form of cap on the remaining five retained players. This would mean that the teams will be able to keep either all Indian players or all overseas players or a combination, as per their wish. Interestingly, the IPL franchises will also be able to use a direct retention rule, whereby they can secure their retention through retentions, RTMs, or a combination of the two.

Various slabs for retention in IPL 2025

Further speaking of the retention rules, if an IPL franchise wishes to retain five players, some more rules will be applicable. Notably, for the first three retentions, the franchises will have to shell out INR 18 crore, 14 crore and 11 crore, respectively. While for the remaining two retentions, INR 18 crore and 14 crore have been capped. In totality, an IPL franchise will end up spending INR 75 crore from the total purse of INR 120 crore if they retain five players before the auction.

Meanwhile, for an uncapped player, the IPL GC settled on a price of INR 4 crore. Consequently, a franchise will have to do away with INR 79 crore and have only INR 41 crore available if they opt to retain all six players before the auction.

Key takeaways of IPL 2025 retention rules

• Franchises to pay for the first three retentions – INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore and INR 11 crore
• For fourth and fifth player retention – INR 18 crore and INR 14 crore
• The overall cost of five retentions will be INR 75 crore
• Combination for Retentions and RTMs- Teams can either retain 6 players, RTMs can have five capped players (Indian & Overseas) and two uncapped players at max
• Total Purse allocated for IPL 2025 Auction- INR 120 crore
• The total salary cap (auction purse along with incremental performance pay) was Rs. 110 Crore in the IPL 2024 season. It will now be INR 146 crore (2025), INR 151 Crore (2026) and INR 157 crore (2027).
• Players to get an additional match fee of INR 7.5 Lakhs per match apart from their contracted amount.
• If an overseas player fails to register for the Mega auction, he will be deemed ineligible for next year’s player auction.
• If a player fails to remain available for the IPL season after getting picked in the auction, he shall be barred from the tournament and from the auctions for the next two years.
• A capped IPL player who has not been a part of India’s playing XI in international cricket in the last five years across any formats or doesn’t hold a central contract with the BCCI will be deemed as an uncapped player.
• The Impact Player rule will continue in the upcoming IPL 2025 and will continue till the 2027 season.