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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is back with its 17th edition in 2024. Currently, the fans and the franchise are busy with IPL 2024 where 10 teams compete against each other to win the glory. However, in the middle of the tournament, all 10 franchises are invited by the BCCI for an informal meeting on the sidelines of the Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals clash at Narendra Modi Stadium on 17th April. In this meeting, the Board and the franchise will be discussing the potential increase in the auction purse and player retention for IPL 2025.
There will be a mega auction for IPL 2025 and the franchises will be looking to retain their best players back in the squad ahead of the auction. In the mega auction, you can see a lot of changes in the squad as before the auction, the franchises can only retain 3-4 players. On the other hand, there is no limit for the retention of the players in mini auctions.
In the following article, you will get to know everything about IPL Mega Auction:
IPL Mega Auction Retention Rules 2025
The retention of the players is one of the most exciting and important parts of IPL Mega Auction. As the franchises are only allowed to retain a maximum four players in the Mega Auction, they might also end up losing their star player who has been a pivotal part of the franchise over the years. However, sometimes, it can also allow the franchises to to bring up a fresh new squad for the coming season. Like in the IPL 2022 Mega Auction, Rajasthan Royals formed a strong squad where they bought star players like Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, and Shimron Hetmyer in their squad. Along with this, they also retained Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jos Buttler. The strong looking squad on paper also did tremendous job on the ground and finished as the runners-up in IPL 2022. The BCCI has also set the rules for the price according to the number of players retained in the IPL Mega Auction
IPL 2025 Mega Auction Rule For 1 Player Retained
| Player Number | Salary (Total INR 14 crore) |
|---|---|
| 1 | INR 14 Crore |
IPL 2025 Mega Auction Rule For 2 Players Retained
| Player Number | Salary (Total INR 24 crore) |
|---|---|
| 1 | INR 14 crore |
| 2 | INR 10 crore |
IPL 2025 Mega Auction Rule For 3 Players Retained
| Player Number | Salary (Total INR 33 crore) |
|---|---|
| 1 | INR 15 crore |
| 2 | INR 11 crore |
| 3 | INR 7 crore |
IPL 2025 Mega Auction Rule For 4 Players Retained
| Player Number | Salary (Total INR 42 crore) |
|---|---|
| 1 | INR 16 crore |
| 2 | INR 12 crore |
| 3 | INR 8 crore |
| 4 | INR 6 crore |
In the mega auction, the first choice player of the franchise gets the maximum amount during the retention. However, the salary can vary according to the number of Players retained in the squad. For example, if Royal Challengers Bengaluru retain Virat Kohli for ₹17 Crore and they retain four players, then total ₹17 Crore will be deducted from RCB’s purse and total ₹43 Crore before the auction.
How many players can be retained ahead of the IPL Mega Auction 2025?
The franchises can retain a maximum four players before the IPL Mega Auction. Out of these four retained players, minimum two can be Indian and Maximum two can be overseas players. However, a franchise cannot retain all four Indian players and there is a minim one overseas player to be retained ahead of IPL mega auction. So a franchise can retain two Indian and two overseas players, or three Indian and one overseas player.
Right to Match (RTM) Rules in IPL Mega Auction 2025
The franchises can also use the Right to Match or RTM card in IPL Mega Auction. In this rule, the franchises can bring back their released player again in the auction at the same price at which the other franchise has bought him in the auction. For example, if RCB releases Glenn Maxwell ahead of Mega Auction and then Gujarat Titans bought him at a price of ₹12 Crore in the auction, then RCB will also get a chance to bring Maxwell back into their squad with RTM Card. If RCB uses the RTM card, then Maxwell will be back in their squad at an auction price of ₹12 Crore.
Notably, the BCCI didn’t allow Right to Match card in the 2022 Mega Auction.
How many rounds are in IPL Mega Auction 2025?
The IPL Mega Auction usually take place in minimum three rounds. These three rounds are divided into subcategories The major divisions of these rounds will be: Capped Players, Uncapped Players and Unsold Players.
Accelerated Auction in IPL 2025
In the final phase of the IPL Mega Auction, the accelerated auction can also take place where the auctioneer quickly passes the names of players. If there are no bids for the player within seconds, then he will go unsold in the auction. However, the players who went unsold in the previous phases, have a second chance to get picked in the accelerated auction.
Unsold and Replacement Players in IPL Auction 2025
After getting picked by the franchise in the auction, there might be situations where the player might not join the team for the IPL season due to any injury or personal reasons. For that, the franchises can also look for the replacement of the players. Mostly, the franchises pick from the unsold players in the auction and can acquire their services at their base price.
Notably, some unsold players are still part of the franchise as a net bowler for the season and have a chance to get picked by the same franchise in next year’s auction.
