IPL 2025 auction retention rules – Six retentions per team, right to match returns, Impact Player to stay

According to the retention rules shared with the ten IPL franchises late on Saturday evening, a maximum of six players, with a maximum of two uncapped Indians, can be retained prior to the auction. The IPL has also said that a maximum of five capped players – all Indian or all overseas or a combination – can be retained.

Retention slabs

As for the uncapped players, the IPL has stuck with INR 4 crore, as was the case in the 2021 mega auction. That means a franchise retaining six players (with one uncapped player) will lose INR 79 crore from its purse, and go into the auction with just INR 41 crore.

Impact Player not going away

Since it was introduced in the 2023 season, the rule has stirred wide debate over whether it is indeed beneficial to Indian cricket, which was the original motive, or whether it could be hurting the development of allrounders. That was one of the points the IPL discussed with the franchises during a meeting on July 31, which was attended by several team owners and team principals. While there was no unanimous nod to the rule, the majority was in favour of it being retained.

Nine of the ten highest totals in IPL history have been recorded since the Impact Player rule, which allows a team to sub out a first-XI player and field a specialist batter or bowler depending on the match situation. The IPL believes the rule has enhance the product by creating spectacles and it is good from the spectators’ point of view, too.

RTM card – final bidder to get extra opportunity

The RTM option gives a franchise the chance to buy back a player during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another franchise once the bidding is over. It was previously used in the 2017 mega auction but discarded ahead of the 2022 mega auction.

The IPL has decided to reintroduce it after at least three franchises argued in its favour. It is understood that the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) said that they wanted seven-to-eight RTMs. However, players have generally not favoured the RTM only because they feel they don’t get the desired price as a result.

To advance the cause of the players, the IPL has now modified the rule. It now reads: “The highest bidder will be given one final opportunity to raise their bid for a player before the team holding the RTM card can exercise their right. For example, if Team 1 holds the RTM for Player X and Team 2 has placed the highest bid of Rs. 6 Cr, then Team 1 will be first asked if they will exercise RTM, if Team 1 agrees, then Team 2 will have the chance to increase their bid. If Team 2 raises their bid to Rs. 9 Cr, then Team 1 can use the RTM and acquire Player X for Rs. 9 Cr. If Team 2 chooses not to raise the bid and keeps it at Rs. 6 Cr, Team 1 can use the RTM and get Player X for Rs. 6 Cr.”

Injury replacements and player loans

Till IPL 2024, franchises had to seek a replacement for an injured player before their seventh match of the season. From IPL 2025, teams can seek replacements till up to the 12th match in the league phase.

Also, while the rule has never been used yet, the IPL has decided to “reinstate” the player loan process, which can only be activated during the season.