The Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year. The 2025 season is just around the corner, and The Indian Premier League's General Council announced the new retention rules on Saturday, September 28, in Bengaluru. 

Let's see all the IPL retention rules 2025, explaining them in simple terms and discussing how they affect both teams and players. For fans who play fantasy cricket, knowing which players are retained can help them make better decisions when creating their fantasy teams.

October 31, 2024, is the deadline for the franchises to finalize their retentions ahead of the IPL 2025 auction.  

What is IPL Player Retention?

Before jumping into the 2025 retention rules, it's essential to understand what retention means in the context of the IPL. Every year, before the mega auction, IPL franchises can retain a set number of players from their existing squads. Those players will not enter the auction pool, and the franchise will keep them for the upcoming season.

Retention helps teams maintain consistency in their squads, giving them a core group of players to build around. This also creates continuity, allowing fans to connect with certain players who stay with a franchise for multiple seasons.

IPL Retention Rules 2025

The IPL retention rules evolve every season. Let's break down the new rules in an easy-to-understand way.

1. Maximum Number of Players to Retain

Teams can retain a maximum of 6 players through retention or Right to Match (RTM) before the IPL 2025 auction. These players can be a combination of both Indian and overseas players.

• Maximum of 5 capped players (Indian or overseas)
• Minimum 1 and a maximum of 2 uncapped players

2. Retention Salary Cap

IPL teams will have a total purse of INR 120 crores (an increase of 20 crores) for the 2025 auction. However, retaining players comes with a cost. A total of 75 crore will be deducted if they retain five players before the auction. The amount will be 79 crores if all six retentions are used. If a team retains fewer players, they will have more money to spend at the auction. 

Here’s how the salary cap for retained players looks for 2025:

• 1st player retained: INR 18 crore deduction
• 2nd player retained: INR 14 crore deduction
• 3rd player retained: INR 11 crore deduction
• 4th player retained: INR 18 crore deduction
• 5th player retained: INR 14 crore deduction
• Uncapped player retained: INR 4 crore deduction

3. Overseas Player Registration

If an overseas player fails to register for the 2025 auction, he will be ineligible for next year’s player auction. If a player fails to remain available for the IPL season after getting picked in the auction, he will not be selected for the auctions for the next two years.

4. Uncapped Player Rule

A capped Indian player who has not played international cricket in the last five years across any formats or doesn’t hold a central contract with the BCCI can be categorized as an uncapped player.

5. Impact Player Rule

The debatable "Impact Player" rule will continue in the upcoming IPL 2025 and will continue till the 2027 season.

6. Match Fees

Every playing member player, including the impact player, will get an additional match fee of INR 7.5 Lakhs per match in addition to their contracted amount.

How Do Retention Rules Impact IPL Teams?

The IPL retention rules significantly affect how teams build their squads for the upcoming season. Teams with a strong core of players will likely use all their retention slots, while teams looking for a fresh start may choose to release more players into the auction.

For example, CSK's decision to retain players like MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja has allowed them to maintain a winning combination. On the other hand, teams that frequently change their squads, like Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, often struggle to find the right balance.

Auction Strategies

A team's retention strategy directly influences its action plan. Teams that retain more players will have less purse amount but will focus on filling gaps in their squad. On the other hand, teams that retain fewer players will have more funds to make big purchases in the auction.

For example, if a team retains only two players, they’ll enter the auction with a larger budget, giving them more flexibility to bid for high-profile players. However, this also increases the risk of having an imbalanced team if they fail to acquire the right players.

As the IPL 2025 approaches, keep an eye on which players your favorite team retains - it could be the key to their success in the next season!