IPL 2025 Retention Rules – Six retentions per team, right to match refund, Impact Player stay

End slabs

As far as uncapped players are concerned, the IPL remains with INR 4 crore, as is the case with the 2021 auction. That means the franchise that retained six players will lose INR 79 crore in its coffers, and will enter the auction with only INR 41 crore.

The decks are cleared for the ‘uncapped’ Dhoni to be retained

In a document listing the retention rules shared with the franchises, the IPL explained the rule that it will only apply to Indian players : “A capped player will be an uncapped player who has been uncapped for five calendar years preceding the year in which the Season is held, not played in the starting XI in the International Cricket (Test match, ODI, Twenty20 International) or (b) does not have Central Contract with BCCI This will apply to Indian players only,”

Ahead of the 2022 mega auction, Dhoni was retained as a second player by CSK for a fee of INR 12 crore. Dhoni, who turned 43 in July, has only played in the IPL since his retirement in 2020. In case CSK now decides to keep him as an uncapped player, Dhoni will be paid INR 4 crore.

The Impact Player isn’t going away

That was one of the points the IPL discussed with the franchises at a meeting on July 31, which was attended by several team owners and club principals. Although there was no unanimous agreement on this law, most agreed that it should be kept.

Nine of the ten highest totals in IPL history have been recorded from the Impact Player rule, which allows a team to drop a starting XI player and replace a specialist batsman or bowler depending on the nature of the game. IPL believes that the law has been able to improve the product by creating such spectacles and it is good from the audience’s point of view, too.

RTM card – last bidder for extra chance

The RTM card option gives a franchise the opportunity to buy back a player, who was at his level in previous seasons, during the auction by matching the highest bid made for the player by another franchise once the bidding has ended. It was previously used in the 2017 mega auction but was scrapped before the 2022 mega auction.

The IPL has decided to reintroduce the RTM option after at least three franchises argued in favor of it. It is understood that the owners of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) say they want seven to eight RTMs. However, players often disliked RTM only because they felt they weren’t getting the price tag they wanted for it.

To further the cause of the players, IPL has now changed the RTM rule. The rule now reads: “The highest bidder will be given one last chance to raise his bid for the player before the team holding the RTM card exercises its right. For example, if Team 1 holds the RTM for Player X and Team 2 submits the highest bid of Rs Cr , then Team 1 can use RTM and get Player X for Rs. 6 Cr.”