IPL 2025: Major retention rule change hits franchises with big auction purse deductions

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction approaches, the excitement regarding the retention lists of various franchises has captured cricket fans around the world. With the retention deadline set for October 31, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has released updated guidelines.

Last month, the IPL Governing Council revealed the player regulations for the 2025 to 2027 seasons after discussions with the owners of the 10 franchises. All teams can retain up to six players with an increasing auction budget to Rs 120 crore. The BCCI also made other guidelines for the mega auction.

“The IPL franchises can retain a total of 6 players from their existing squad. This can be either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option,” BCCI stated in a media release.

“It is at the discretion of the IPL franchise to choose their combination for Retentions and RTMs. The 6 retentions/RTMs can have a maximum of 5 capped players (Indian & Overseas) and a maximum of 2 uncapped players.”

IPL Announces A Change to Retention Rules for 2025 Season

The first three capped player retentions will cost Rs 18 crore, Rs 14 crore, and Rs 11 crore. The next two capped players will cost Rs 18 crore and Rs 14 crore, respectively. Teams can allocate the total capped retention budget of Rs 75 crore among five capped players as they pick from their squad.

According to Sportstar, the IPL authorities have announced a change to the retention rules for the 2025 season, eliminating the "more for less" rule. Earlier, if a player's retention price exceeded their designated slot price, the lower amount would be deducted from the salary purse for the auction.

Franchises Face Major Cuts in Auction Budgets

In the 2025 mega auction, if a player's price is higher than the designated amount, the higher price will be deducted from the team's budget. For example, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) is planning to retain Heinrich Klaasen for Rs 23 crore, Pat Cummins for Rs 18 crore, and Abhishek Sharma for Rs 14 crore.

Under the new rules, the first retention for a team will cost Rs 18 crore, with the next two at Rs 14 crore and Rs 11 crore, for a total of Rs 43 crore. However, if a team chooses to pay more, such as retaining Heinrich Klaasen for Rs 23 crore, Pat Cummins for Rs 18 crore, and Abhishek Sharma for Rs 14 crore, their total deduction from the auction purse will rise to Rs 55 crore.

Punjab Kings To Enter IPL 2025 Mega Auction with Highest Purse

Several players, including Shreyas Iyer (Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain), Rishabh Pant (Delhi Capitals captain), Kuldeep Yadav (DC), and Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings), might enter the auction pool.

In contrast, the Mumbai Indians plan to retain four key players, Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya, despite the impact on their auction budget. The management has reached an agreement with these stars.

Meanwhile, the Punjab Kings are expected to have the largest auction purse at Rs 112 crore. They are likely retaining only two uncapped players, Shashank Singh and either Prabhsimran Singh or Ashutosh Sharma.

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