The Indian Premier League (IPL) announced the new player retention rules ahead of the IPL 2025 mega-auction, to be held later this year. 

IPL 2025: New Retention Rules Revealed 

The Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council released the new player regulations for the upcoming mega auction ahead of the IPL 2025 on Saturday, September 28. There were several players major announcements made for the blockbuster season such as the player retention limits, increasing of the team’s purse value and the introduction of new match fees for every game. 

According to the new regulations, each franchise can retain a maximum of six players using Retentions and the Right to Match (RTM) options. A maximum of five capped players and a maximum of two uncapped players can be retained by each team. However, there is no limit on the number of overseas players that can be retained. 

1. Number of retentions: 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. 

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

3. Salary cap: The auction purse for the franchises has been set at INR 120 Crore for IPL 2025. The total salary cap will now consist of auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. Previously in 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + incremental performance pay) was Rs. 110 Crs which will now be Rs. 146 Crs (2025), Rs. 151 Crs (2026) and Rs. 157 Crs (2027). 

4. Additional match fees: A match fee has been introduced for the first time in the history of IPL. Each Playing member (Including the Impact Player) will get a match fee of INR 7.5 Lakhs per match. This will be in addition to his contracted amount. 

5. Overseas player registration rules: Any Overseas Player will have to register for the Big Auction. In case the overseas player doesn't register, then he will be ineligible to register in the following year’s player auction. 

6. Picked but no show up: Any player who registers in the player auction and after getting picked at the auction, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season, will get banned from participating in the tournament and player auction for 2 Seasons. 

7. The capped to uncapped journey: A capped Indian player will become uncapped, if the player has in the last five calendar years preceding the year in which the relevant Season is held, not played in the starting XI in International Cricket (Test match, ODI, Twenty20 International) or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI. This will be applicable for Indian Players only. 

8. Impact sub : The Impact Player Regulation will continue for the 2025 to 2027 cycle. 

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni have confirmed their participation in the 2025 IPL season, much to the excitement of fans. This marks a thrilling opportunity to witness these legendary players on the field together once again, showcasing their skills and passion for the game in what promises to be an unforgettable season. 

MS Dhoni: A Strategic Asset for CSK 

Even though Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020, he’s still a key part of CSK. After winning their fifth IPL title in 2023, he passed the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad for IPL 2024. 

In 2024, Dhoni focused more on mentoring the younger players instead of batting a lot. But when he did bat, he still managed to hit some epic sixes! This setup helps CSK build Gaikwad as the future captain while Dhoni shares his wisdom and tactics. 

Two-year ban for overseas players pulling out after being picked at IPL auction: 

An overseas player who does not register for the mega auction will not be allowed to register for subsequent mini auction.  

Overseas players who make themselves unavailable for an IPL season after being bought at an auction without legitimate reasons will henceforth be penalised with two-year bans. That aside, overseas players' maximum price in a mini auction will be the lower of the highest retention price (INR 18 crore, or US$ 2.1 million approx.) and the highest auction price at the mega auction. 

Thus, if they miss IPL 2025, they will be automatically barred from IPL 2026 auction. This is presumably to counter them from using the “mini auction loophole”. 

KKR Owner Shah Rukh Khan's Remark On MS Dhoni: 

After the retention rules were announced, a viral Shah Rukh Khan video went viral on the internet. During an awards show, the Bollywood actor was teased by Karan Johar about his retirement. Shah Rukh used Dhoni's example to respond to Johar. 

"The biggest thing about legends… unki khasiyat ye hoti hai ki legends ko maalum hota hai, when to stop, when to retire. Like the great Sachin Tendulkar, like Sunil Chhetri—the footballer, like Roger Federer—the great tennis star. They all know when to retire, and I think it’s time you did too. So please go back. Thank you very much," he said. 

"By that standard, aur us hisab se aap kyon retire nahi hote," Johar replied. 

“By that standard, aur us hisab se aap kyon retire nahi hote,” Johar replied, to which Shah Rukh added, “Actually main doosre kisam ka legendary hoon. Main aur Dhoni ek kisam ke legends hai. Na na kar ke bhi 10 baar IPL khel jaate hai.”