The Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council met in Bengaluru on September 28, 2024, and finalized the player retentions and regulations ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.
As per the announced retention rules, a franchise can retain a total of 6 players from their existing squad. This can be either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option. The IPL franchise can choose their combination of Retentions and RTMs.
The 6 retentions / RTMs can have a maximum of 5 capped players (Indian & Overseas) and a maximum of 2 uncapped players.
The auction purse for the franchises for IPL 2025 has been increased to INR 120 Crs. The total compensation cap will now include auction proceeds, additional performance pay, and match fees. Previously, in 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + incremental performance pay) was Rs. 110 Crs, but it will now be Rs. 146 Crs (2025), Rs. 151 Crs (2026), and Rs. 157 Crs.
For the first time in IPL history, match fees have been introduced. Each Playing member (Including the Impact Player) will get a match fee of INR 7.5 Lakhs per match. This will be in addition to his contracted amount.
The BCCI and IPL GC have taken note of the franchises’ issues with overseas players only registering for mini auctions and not mega auctions and withdrawing after being picked in the auction owing to various reasons.
The IPL has made it mandatory for any overseas players to register for the mega auction and their failing to do so will make them ineligible to sign up for the mini auction next year.
Also if a player is bought in an auction and makes himself unavailable before the start of the IPL season, he will be banned for two years from IPL auctions and tournaments.
“Any Overseas Player will have to register for the Big Auction. In case the overseas player doesn't register, then he will be ineligible to register in the following year’s player auction.
Any player who registers in the player auction and after getting picked at the auction, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season, will get banned from participating in the tournament and player auction for 2 Seasons,” the IPL statement read.
The IPL GC also brought back the uncapped player rule, that it had scrapped in 2021. As per this rule, if any Indian player has not played for Team India for the preceding 5 years, he will be counted as an uncapped player.
“A capped Indian player will become uncapped if the player has in the last five calendar years preceding the year in which the relevant Season is held, not played in the starting XI in International Cricket (Test match, ODI, Twenty20 International) or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI. This will be applicable for Indian Players only,” the rule read.
While multiple franchise owners showed negativity towards the impact player rule, the IPL GC has decided to continue with the innovative impact player ruling for the 2025-2027 IPL cycle.
(IPL inputs)
