RTM, Auction purse - All you need to know about IPL 2025 retention rules

The retention rules have finally been announced by the IPL governing council ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. In a major update, the auction purse has been increased for the upcoming edition. As for the retention rules, each franchise is allowed to retain six players ahead of the mega auction. However, one of the six players must be an uncapped Indian player. Interestingly, the remaining five retention picks can be either all Indians or overseas, with the franchises allowed to decide the retention picks as per their choice.

RTM card back as the retention rules announced ahead of IPL 2025

In another exciting update, the Right-to-Match (RTM) card has been brought back ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The RTM card allows a franchise to buy its player in the auction by bidding over the highest bid called. For the IPL 2025 mega auction, each team will get one RTM card. Moreover, any team that doesn’t use all of its five retention slots will get one extra RTM card for each of the slots kept empty ahead of the mega auction. In clear terms, this rule explains that if an IPL team retains just three players, it will get two extra RTM cards in addition to the one RTM provided to each of the ten teams.

Furthermore, the auction purse has been set at 120 crores for the IPL 2025 mega auction. This is a significant increase from the previous year, which was set at 100 crores. The retention picks also carry a specific amount for the franchise to spend. The first three retention options are set at INR 18 crore, 14 crore, and 11 crore, respectively. Subsequently, the fourth and fifth retention picks will get 18 crore and 14 crore each. For the uncapped pick, the IPL council has kept the slot at INR 4 crore. Effectively, if a franchise uses all six retention slots, it will use 79 crore out of the 120 crore purse.

IPL revives 'uncapped player rule', path clear for CSK to retain MS Dhoni

With the six retention slots announced for the IPL 2025 mega auction, clarity has arrived on the much-anticipated retention call of MS Dhoni. The path is now clear for Chennai Super Kings to retain MS Dhoni under the uncapped player criteria, if Dhoni chooses to continue in the league for the 2025 season. The IPL council has revived the rule proposed in the inaugural season, which allows a franchise to retain any player who has retired from international cricket under the uncapped criteria. The rule, not of much use to the respective teams, was scrapped in 2021. However, it has been revived ahead of IPL 2025 in a move that seems like an aid to the five-time champions CSK to include Dhoni in their retention plans. While the IPL council has provided clarity on its part, MS Dhoni is yet to reveal his decision regarding his future in the league.

Lastly, in another much-awaited update, the impact player rule has been retained in the Indian Premier League for the upcoming season. The impact player rule, which was introduced in the IPL in the 2022 edition, has faced considerable criticism from players and fans alike. However, following BCCI’s discussion with the stakeholders and all the IPL franchises back in July, the rule has been kept intact in the tournament.