The IPL 2025 mega auction retention rules were announced by the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council on Sunday. Alongside the rule that IPL franchises can retain upto a maximum of six players including one uncapped player, there was a twist. An old law – that had been there since 2008 but removed in 2022 – was reinstated ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. This is the law that allows Indian players who haven’t played an international game in more than five years to be retained as ‘uncapped player’.

IPL franchises have to retain a minimum of one uncapped player, at Rs 4 crore, if they choose to keep all six retentions. The Governing Council’s new law opens up the door for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to retain legendary India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a small amount.

“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 BCCI said in a release.

However, Dhoni isn’t the only player who can be retained in this way. Here is the full list of nine players who have played internationals for India, but can be retained as ‘uncapped’:

Piyush Chawla – Mumbai Indians

The veteran leg-spinner last played for India in 2012, and could be a spin solution for five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians.

Sandeep Sharma – Rajasthan Royals

The pacer showed glimpses of great form during IPL 2024, and can be a smart retention by Rajasthan, who have appointed Rahul Dravid as head coach.

Rishi Dhawan – Punjab Kings

The all-rounder played three ODIs and one T20I for India in 2016, and therefore can be retained as uncapped.

Mayank Markande – Sunrisers Hyderabad

Only 26, spinner Mayank Markande used to be an IPL regular for Mumbai Indians, and can be retained cheaply by Sunrisers.

Vijay Shankar – Gujarat Titans

Once selected for India’s squad in the 2019 World Cup, Vijay Shankar has not played for India since that year.

Mohit Sharma – Gujarat Titans

Like Vijay Shankar, Mohit is also a former World-Cupper for India (2015). Having picked up 40 wickets over the last two IPL seasons, he could be a handy retention.

Amit Mishra – Lucknow Super Giants

The ageless Amit Mishra could be a smart retention by LSG, particularly with the Impact Player rule set to stay.

Karn Sharma – Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Having played just one Test, one T20I and two ODIs for India, he is an ‘uncapped’ retention option for Virat Kohli‘s RCB.

MS Dhoni – Chennai Super Kings

In what is surely a move waiting to happen, Dhoni can be retained by CSK for no more than Rs 4 crore ahead of the 2025 IPL Mega Auction.

File photo of Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya© BCCI/IPL

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 player regulations are out. The 10 franchises have been allowed to retain maximum six players. The IPL 2025 auction is expected to be held in the last week of November or the first week of December and as it will be a mega auction the team will have a tricky time about which players to retain. The auction purse for the franchises has been set at INR 120 Crore for IPL 2025. The total salary cap will now consist of auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. 

Ahead of the retention, former Indian cricket team opener Aakash Chopra said that Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul would bag a mega deal if he is to enter the auction. 

“First is KL Rahul. He is the face of the franchise and you would want to make him the captain. You are not going to get him for RS 18 crore. Let’s be honest, if he goes to the auction, he will get Rs 18 crore. Anyways you never leave the captain. For continuity that is important,” Aakash Chopra said in his YouTube channel. 

On LSG’s Mayank Yadav, who has been selected in the India squad for the Bangladesh T20Is, Chopra had an interesting take. “They would have definitely wanted to retain him but if he gets the India cap, there is no advantage of retaining him. Then you can use the Right To Match card,” he said.

Meanwhile, a match fee has been introduced for the first time in the history of the IPL. 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. 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. 

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 Impact Player Regulation will continue for the 2025 to 2027 cycle.

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council releases its guidelines of player retention, experts have started to share opinions on the players franchises should decide to keep ahead of the mega auction. With as many as 6 players allowed by the BCCI, including Right-To-Match, some tough decisions are expected to unfold in the coming days. For Mumbai Indians, the future of former skipper Rohit Sharma is arguably the biggest talking point. But, former India batter Aakash Chopra feels MI also needs to take a big call on current captain Hardik Pandya.

While many feel Hardik would be MI’s no. 1 retention ahead of the new season, Chopra is of the opinion that Jasprit Bumrah should take that spot. For Chopra, Bumah would be the No. 1 pick across the 10 IPL sides. Hence, he should be the top priority for MI too.

“The most difficult thing is to retain the Indian core. MI have won 5 trophies and CSK have also won 5 trophies. Both of them have had strong Indian cores. Overseas players, you can like-for-replacement. But, Indian players are tougher to get. Can you tell me a like-for-like replacement for Jasprit Bumrah?” Chopra said.

As far as Hardik is concerned, the former Kolkata Knight Riders cricketer feels the Mumbai Indian skipper can be the franchise’s 4th pick. Suryakumar Yadav can be the second choice (in the INR 14 crore category), while the likes of Rohit, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, etc. would need to battle it out for the remaining spots.

“Indian retentions for Mumbai Indians seem straightforward. Hardik, Surya, Bumrah, you have three. After that, I think they will discuss with Rohit Sharma about the next step, I am pretty sure. It’s anybody’s guess after what has transpired. Whether he will stay in Mumbai or go elsewhere, I think it will also be his will. I think that will be a discussion. And then Ishan Kishan or Tilak Varma,” he added.

“The interesting aspect will be the order of retention. Who will be the first, who will be the second and all that? Jasprit Bumrah is my No. 1 retention. He will be the first retention in the overall IPL, across all teams. If Bumrah is your first, then you have captain Hardik Pandya. He can be your fourth retention (Rs 18 crore). Then you have India’s T20I captain, he is Suryakumar Yadav. He will be come in Rs 14 crore category. Then you have Rohit Sharma and Tilak Varma. Then there is the wicketkeeper-batter batter in Ishan Kishan, whom you retained for Rs 15 or Rs 15.5 crore. It’s going to be a tough one.

Tim David and Piyush Chawla are also some of the players MI is expected to retain. While Chawla fits well in the uncapped player category, the chances of David being retained remain slim.

“Tim David is there. Uncapped Piyush Chawla is there,” Chopra asserted.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council introduced a few stringent rules, especially pertaining to overseas players in a media statement on Saturday. From defining the retention rules, and salary slabs for IPL franchises, the statement also issued overseas players a potential 2-year suspension over auction mischief that has hurt teams over the last few years. From overseas players’ last-minute pullout to preferring mini auctions over mega auctions, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now put checks and measures in place to prevent overseas players from misusing the system.

One of the rules that will be applicable from the IPL 2026 mini-auction is that no overseas player would earn more money than the highest retained or sold player in the mega auction (whichever of the two is lower). The rule has become the subject of intense chatter among fans and experts, wondering if it’s right to put a curb on the earnings of an overseas player in mini-auctions.

IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, however, backed the call and explained that the decision was taken to encourage larger participation of overseas stars in mega auctions.

“If a player has been picked up at a higher value vis-a-vis Rs 18 crore per say, the player gets only Rs 18 crore and the rest of the amount will come back to the league to the BCCI and would be utilised for players’ welfare. The idea is to make the maximum number of players available at the bigger auction because that is when the franchises can plan a team for three years in advance,” he said, responding to the question during an interview with Indian Express.

Dhumal was also asked about the potential 2-year ban that overseas stars can incur if they withdraw from IPL participation after being sold in the mega auction.

In response, he said: “It has come to our observation that at times players are not making themselves available for bigger auctions but are coming at the smaller auction so that they can get a better value.”

“We wanted to make sure that those who are making themselves available for a big auction are not at the receiving end. In case they are picked at the auction but somehow unable to make themselves available, they will have to give valid reasons. It is not because they are part of the auction, they get picked up for an amount and then they refuse to play. The idea is because the franchise owners and the team are working in detail to make the best team available for the tournament and every player plays an important role in whatever position he has been picked for. In case he is not making himself available, that will put the entire team in jeopardy,” he further explained.

For Dhumal and others in the IPL Governing Council, the idea is to have only those foreign stars participating who can give 100% commitment. Those who come in to exploit the loopholes in the system aren’t welcomed.

“It is a team game at the end of the day. So the idea is they need to show their 100 percent commitment. If they have said that I would be available then they have to be available. Otherwise, it has to be a medical reason, where the home board should also give in writing that it is a valid medical condition because of which the player is unable to join,” he asserted.

The countdown has begun for the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises to start working on their release and retention list. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the retention rules on Saturday, paving the way for the franchises to finalise the list of players they wish to keep ahead of the mega auction. The board has allowed franchises to retain a maximum of 6 players, either through direct retention or Right-To-Match card. However, with retention cost increased by the BCCI, striking the perfect balance between keep players and buying them through RTM in the auction, will be key to success.

Though it is extremely unlikely to see all 10 franchises retaining 6 players before the auction, we take a look at the top 6 candidates who could be retained.

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Daryl Mitchell, Matheesha Pathirana, MS Dhoni

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Anshul Kamboj*.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Will Jacks, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Yash Dayal*.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sandeep Sharma.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana*.

Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill, Rashid Khan, David Miller, Sai Sudharsan, Mohammed Shami, Rahul Tewatia*.

Lucknow Super Giants: KL Rahul, Quinton de Kock, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Marcus Stoinis, Mayank Yadav*.

Delhi Capitals: Rishabh Pant, Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell Marsh, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Axar Patel, Abishek Porel*.

Punjab Kings: Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Shashank Singh*, Ashutosh Sharma*.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, T. Natarajan, Nitish Kumar Reddy*

* The status of these uncapped players can change before October 31. According to the BCCI’s regulations, a player representing the national team before the deadline would not be considered uncapped. But, if a player makes international debut on November 01, he would still go into the IPL 2025 season as an uncapped player.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced significant changes to the way Indian Premier League (IPL) auctions are conducted, especially with regards to overseas players. In the IPL 2024 auction, Starc shattered all records, becoming the most expensive player in the history of the T20 league, after being roped in for INR 24.75 crore by Kolkata Knight Riders. However, such a situation would no longer be possible, at least from the player’s point of view. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, BCCI proposed a new regulation that would make overseas players ineligible to earn more money than those sold or retained in the mega auction.

Starc marked his IPL return in the 2024 season, making him available for the mini-auction, where he fetched a record-breaking price from the Knight Riders. However, his return to the T20 league was also met with criticism, with critics suggesting that certain overseas players only make themselves available for mini-auction, with the attempt being to cash-in on the skewed demand-supply ratio.

From the IPL 2025 season onwards, however, that wouldn’t be possible.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, an overseas player will have to register himself for the mega auction (2025), if he is to participate in the IPL 2026 and IPL 2027 seasons. Space for a few exceptions have also been made, for cases where the player is either injured or has a medical condition. But such a scenario would need to be confirmed by the home board.

The overseas players will also have a salary cap in the IPL 2026 auction. The maximum fee an overseas player can earn in the mini-auction will be determined by the highest retention fee of a player or the price another player manages to fetch in the mega-auction. The amount lower between the two will be considered.

Example: If Virat Kohli is retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for a fee of INR 18 crores and Deepak Chahar is bought for a fee of INR 15 crore during the 2025 mega auction, then no overseas player would be eligible to earn more than INR 15 crore in the subsequent mini-auction.

In a case where Deepak Chahar is signed in the mega auction for INR 20 crores, then the maximum amount an overseas player can stand to earn would be INR 18 crore (Virat Kohli’s retention fee).

While the franchises will be allowed to bid for as long as they like, the additional amount (over and above 18 crore or 15 crore, as explained above), would go to BCCI’s bank account and not the player’s.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council announced the retention rules for the 2025 season, giving teams the opportunity to retain as many as 6 players, either directly or via Right-To-Match cards. But, the board also made it mandatory for the franchises to retain at least one uncapped player, if they are willing to exhaust all 6 retention options. However, the RTM option this auction, as compared to the previous ones, is quite tricky in its implementation. There were some who had expressed disappointment at RTM’s potential return in IPL 2025 auction. Hence, the BCCI has made its implementation less rewarding.

Previously, the franchise that released a certain player could use the RTM card to buy back a player who was won by another franchise during the bidding war at the IPL auction. However, in the upcoming mega auction, just showing an RTM card won’t be enough for a franchise to buy the player.

If a franchise shows the RTM card, after the conclusion of a bidding war between two different franchises, the team which had won the said bidding would be given another opportunity to increase the bid for a said player. In such a scenario, the team holding the RTM card would have the option to withdraw or match the improved bid for the player.

“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,” the rule reads.

Example: If Faf du Plessis is being auctioned, CSK places the highest bid, then his current franchise (RCB) will be asked if they wish to use RTM. If RCB agrees, then CSK will be given one more chance to increase the final bid. Then, RCB can use their RTM and re-sign Du Plessis or choose to withdraw.

Each of the 10 Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises can retain up to five cricketers — with no restriction on nationality — pre-auction ahead of the 2025 edition. Besides, the Right to Match (RTM) card option has been reintroduced for the player auction to be held later in the year
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Each of the 10 Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises can retain up to five cricketers — with no restriction on nationality — pre-auction ahead of the 2025 edition. Besides, the Right to Match (RTM) card option has been reintroduced for the player auction to be held later in the year

The player retention rules were finalised by the IPL Governing Council during its meeting in Bengaluru on Saturday (September 28, 2024). Unlike in the past, though, the IPL authorities have devised “pay more to retain more” policy.

The first three retentions will see the auction purse — finalised at ₹120 crore for a team — being reduced by ₹18 crore, ₹14 crore and ₹11 crore, respectively. However, the two other additional retentions will cost more than the third.

The fourth and the fifth retention will see reduction of ₹18 crore and ₹14 crore, respectively. 

It means a team will see its auction purse reduced by a whopping ₹75 crore on five players, with only ₹45 crore in its kitty for the IPL auction.

The General Council also introduced match-fees of ₹7.5 lakh for each of the 12 players in the league stage. The compensation will be over and above the contract fees for a player. The decision was announced by BCCI secretary Jay Shah through his social media handle.

The IPL 2025 mega auction is set to take place in November.© BCCI