IPL 2025 Auction, Retention Rules: BCCI's DIKTAT to franchises leaks before official announcement

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to announce the retention rules for the IPL 2025 mega auction on Thursday.

According to the latest reports, the board is likely to allow franchises to retain up to five players from their current squads without the Right to Match option at the IPL 2025 auction.

During a meeting with team owners, the BCCI explored options for player retention. Most owners indicated a preference to keep five to six players.

Franchises highlighted the need for continuity within their squads. In response to this feedback, the BCCI is set to make new rules for the auction.

IPL 2025 teams were allowed to retain up to four players ahead of the 2022 season. Teams could retain a maximum of three Indian players from their four-player limit during the last mega auction.

The Gujarat Titans (GT) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) were introduced to the T20 tournament.

The BCCI Set To Finalize Retention Rules For IPL 2025 Mega Auction

According to The Indian Express, teams will be allowed to retain a maximum of five players. However, the details about the number of Indian players they can keep are still unclear.

The BCCI believes that allowing five retentions will provide a good balance for teams to maintain their core players.

However, the Right to Match option may not be available in this auction. This limits franchises' ability to reacquire players once they enter the mega auction pool.

The BCCI was expected to announce the retention and auction rules last month, but there has been a delay in the decision. Some franchises requested up to eight player retentions, while others wanted to keep the existing rules in place.

The previous rule allowed franchises to retain up to three Indian players and two overseas players.

However, there is still no official information on the exact number of overseas players each team can retain this year. The BCCI has not yet released the detailed IPL 2025 retention rules for the auction.

Another key topic of discussion for the upcoming auction will be the retention cost structure for players. In the last IPL mega auction, teams could retain up to four players with costs set at Rs 16 crore, Rs 12 crore, Rs 8 crore, and Rs 6 crore. For uncapped players, the retention fee was Rs 4 crore.

MS Dhoni To Retire From Indian Premier League?

The Chennai Super Kings are still awaiting confirmation about MS Dhoni’s participation. Dhoni has yet to confirm whether he will play in the IPL 2025 season or retire.

The Indian Express reported that the team will have a clearer picture once the BCCI officially announces the retention rules.

“We are yet to hear from him. Once the BCCI makes a formal decision on the number of retentions, we will have a clear picture,” sources in the franchise told The Indian Express.

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