IPL 2025: Major Updates Announced for New Season

The IPL has introduced notable changes for the 2025 season, including a higher retention limit, the return of the Right-to-Match option, and an increased auction purse. Teams can retain up to six players, with new rules benefiting franchises like Chennai Super Kings. The Impact Player rule remains in place.

The IPL governing council announced significant updates for the 2025 season, introducing an increased retention limit, the return of the Right-to-Match (RTM) option, and a higher auction purse, according to ESPNcricinfo. Franchises can now retain up to six players each, with the RTM option reinstated, and the Impact Player rule will remain in place.

For the upcoming mega auction, the auction purse has been raised to INR 120 crore (approximately USD 14.33 million), up by INR 20 crore from the previous year. As per ESPNcricinfo, the finalized retention rules will be shared with the ten franchises soon. Notably, of the six players that franchises can retain, at least one must be an uncapped Indian player.

The other five can be either Indian or overseas players. The retention can be done through direct retention, a mix of retention and RTM, or solely RTM options. If a franchise retains five players, the following amounts will be deducted from their purse: INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore, INR 11 crore for the first three retentions, and INR 18 crore and INR 14 crore for the remaining two. This leads to a total deduction of INR 75 crore from the overall purse for retaining five players. For uncapped players, the retention amount remains INR 4 crore, as it was in the 2021 mega auction. Thus, if a franchise retains six players, INR 79 crore will be deducted, leaving INR 41 crore for the auction.

In a move potentially benefiting Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the IPL has reinstated a rule from 2008 allowing Indian players retired from international cricket for at least five years to be considered uncapped in the auction. This means CSK could retain their former captain, MS Dhoni, as an uncapped player for INR 4 crore. Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in 2020 and turned 43 in July, was previously retained for INR 12 crore ahead of the 2022 mega auction.

The IPL has decided to retain the Impact Player rule, which has been in place since the 2023 season. This rule allows teams to substitute a first-XI player with a specialist batter or bowler based on match conditions. During a meeting on July 31, the majority of the franchises supported retaining the rule. The IPL highlighted that nine of the ten highest totals in its history have been recorded since the introduction of the Impact Player rule. The IPL believes this rule has enhanced the entertainment value of the matches, making them more exciting for spectators.

(With inputs from agencies.)