How many players can be retained? What is the salary cap? All rules announced – Firstpost

The mega auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) happens once in a while but it is always equally enticing, exciting and complex. The last time the IPL hosted a major auction was in 2022, when there were only eight teams in the league. At that time, all eight IPL series were allowed to retain four players, with a maximum of three Indians, two overseas players and two uncapped Indians.

The scenario has changed drastically this time with 10 franchises. All 10 teams can retain a maximum of six players individually through retention or RTM (Right to Match). There will be a maximum of five limited-overs players (Indian and overseas) and a maximum of two unrestricted (Indian) players in the combination.

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This has created extra interest this time as IPL teams have the option to retain their core. As a result, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are expected to retain MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli respectively, but it will be interesting to see who the remaining players hold on to and what other teams will do with their current squads.

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There may also be some shocks as a big auction is an opportunity to rest your team. We take a look at the retention rules before the IPL 2025 retention lists are published.

IPL storage time and where to watch

The last date for submission of retention list for all IPL teams is 5 pm IST on October 31, which is also the evening of Diwali in India. BCCI and IPL teams are expected to share the retention list with fans around the same time. Additionally, JioCinema and Star Sports will host IPL retention list programs from 4.30pm on October 31 to discuss retentions.

How many players can an IPL team retain?

An IPL team can retain a maximum of six players through the Right to Match (RTM) card, which they can use during the retention phase or during the IPL 2025 mega auction. The combination of six retained players must consist of a maximum of five limited-overs players (Indian and overseas) and a maximum of two unrestricted (Indian) players.

What is the total auction purse for IPL teams?

All 10 IPL teams will have a total auction purse of Rs 120 crore each to select their entire squads. The purse was Rs 110 million in the auction last year.

Has BCCI fixed any cost for retained players?

Holding costs for capped players and unrestricted players will be:

A team will lose Rs 75 crore from the total purse if it retains five limited-overs players.

What happens if a player is paid above or below his value by the franchise?

Consider a scenario where a team keeps limited-overs player 2 for Rs 17 Million instead of Rs 14 Million. This will result in a deduction of Rs 17 crore from the franchise’s purse, which is Rs 3 crore above the set bracket value. Conversely, if the team chooses to pay him Rs 12 billion below his actual value, his purse at the auction will decrease by Rs 14 billion.

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How much purse will be left for the 10 IPL teams after retaining the players?

Let’s take a look at a scenario where an IPL team retains six players in different combinations of 5 limited-overs players and 1 uncapped player and 4 limited-overs players and 2 uncapped players.

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Now let’s look at a scenario where an IPL team retains less than six players in different combinations and decides to use RTM card(s) during the auction.

Is there any limit on the number of overseas players an IPL team can retain?

No. A franchise can retain five foreign players if it wishes and the purse cut will be as discussed above.

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Which players can be counted? Unlimited players?

Any Indian player currently making his international debut will be considered an unrestricted player. Also, a limited-overs player will be considered out of bounds if he has not played an international match in the last five years or does not have a central contract with the BCCI. The rule applies only to Indian players.

This rule will help players like MS Dhoni, Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Amit Mishra and Vijay Shankar remain unrestricted players.

What if a player doesn’t want to stay on the team?

No problem. If a player does not want to stay with the team, he can reject the offer and participate in the IPL 2024 mega auction. IPL teams will also not be able to trade players after the end of the retention period and the start of the 2025 season.

How can RTM cards be used in IPL auction?

A franchise can acquire a player from the 2024 team using the RTM card if the player is acquired by a different franchise in the mega auction.

However, there has been a new change since the RTM rule was last used in a mega auction in 2018. In the 2025 mega auction, if a team wants to buy back a player using the RTM option, the team that placed the winning bid has one more chance to increase their bid to any amount. In this case, the player must match this new offer if his former team wants to buy him back.