IPL 2025 Retention Rules: Teams Allowed 5 Retentions, 1 RTM, Total Purse ₹120 Crore

Mumbai: The IPL Governing Council has officially announced the retention policies and key regulations for the 2025 IPL mega auction after a detailed discussion with all ten franchises in Bengaluru on September 28.

A major decision from the meeting allows each franchise to retain up to five players, an increase from the previous cap of four players during the 2022 mega auction.

Teams are free to choose any combination of Indian and foreign players among their five retentions. Additionally, each team will be granted one Right-to-Match (RTM) card, which allows them to match the highest bid on a previously released player during the auction.

A significant update is that teams will receive one additional RTM card for each retention slot they don’t utilise. For instance, if a team retains only three players, it will receive two extra RTM cards, along with the default one, allowing for more strategic bidding.

The total purse for each team has been increased to INR 120 crore, up from INR 100 crore in the previous edition. Retaining all five players will cost franchises INR 75 crore, with the salary breakdown as follows: the 1st and 4th retentions will cost INR 18 crore each, the 2nd and 5th retentions INR 14 crore each, and the 3rd retention INR 11 crore.

The BCCI and IPL Governing Council are expected to announce the date and venue for the 2025 mega auction soon. The retention rules were framed after extensive talks with the franchise owners earlier this year in July.