The ten IPL teams are expected to be permitted five retentions and one right-to-match (RTM) card during the IPL 2025 auction. ESPNcricinfo reports that the IPL is likely to approve this structure once it finalizes the retention rules ahead of the upcoming mega auction for the 2025 season.
The number of Indian players that can be retained and the cap on overseas players remain unclear. Additionally, retention slabs and the overall auction purse are yet to be disclosed, but it is expected to be around INR 115-120 crore.
If the IPL governing council approves the 5+1 retention model, it would mark the highest number of allowed retentions in the tournament’s history. In the lead-up to the 2017 mega auction, teams could retain up to five players, either through direct retentions or RTM cards, with a cap on the number of Indian players.
The RTM card, which lets a franchise reacquire a player by matching the highest bid from another team, was removed ahead of the 2022 mega auction. In that auction, teams could retain up to four players, while new franchises Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants selected three players before the auction. The auction purse in 2022 stood at INR 90 crore.
As the IPL considers scheduling the auction for late November, the finalization of retention rules has been delayed. Notably, there was considerable debate regarding the RTM card in a recent meeting with franchise owners. Some teams supported the idea of allowing more RTMs, while others opposed it. Additionally, the IPL may reinstate a rule classifying retired capped Indian players as uncapped, potentially allowing Chennai Super Kings to retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player.
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