IPL 2025 Retention: Rules explained and all the buzz ahead of October 31 deadline
The BCCI has set Thursday, October 31, 5 pm IST, as the deadline for all 10 franchises to submit their retention list ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. As per the rules each franchise can retain six players, with a maximum of five being capped (Indian or overseas) and a maximum of two being uncapped. Players can be retained either directly or via the Right to Match (RTM) option.
Each franchise has a purse of ₹120 crore. If a team decides to retain five capped players, a total of ₹75 crore will be deducted from their purse. The rates for retaining five capped cricketers are as follows - first player ₹18 crore, second player ₹14 crore, third player ₹11 crore, fourth player ₹18 crore and fifth player ₹14 crore. For every uncapped Indian player retained, a team will lose ₹4 crore.
As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, the franchises can divide the ₹75-crore retention pot among five players as per their wish. So, player one could be retained for ₹23 crore and player five for a lower amount than ₹14 crore, provided the cricketers and the franchises agree to the same. Also, if a team spends more than ₹75 crore, the excess amount will be deducted from their purse.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has also brought back the rule of an Indian cricketer who hasn't played international cricket for five years and does not have a central contract can be considered uncapped. MS Dhoni can thus be retained as an uncapped Indian player for ₹4 crore by Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
If we talk about the RTM rule, there is a slight twist to it in comparison to when it was used at the 2018 mega auction. If a franchise wants to buy back a player using RTM, the team that made the winning bid will be given another chance to raise their bid. The player's previous franchise will have to match the raised bid to buy back the cricketer.
There has been plenty of buzz around retentions building up to the October 31 deadline. Here's a look at some prominent ones that have been doing the rounds.
Rishabh Pant set to part ways with Delhi Capitals
As per a report in the Times of India, keeper-batter Rishabh Pant is not part of Delhi Capitals' (DC) retention list. The report claimed that DC have finalized Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristian Stubbs and Abhishek Porel as their retentions and have also kept Right To Match option open. The report stated that Pant wanted to continue leading, but the franchise wanted to retain him only as a player.
Virat Kohli set to captain RCB in IPL 2025?
With Faf du Plessis unlikely to be retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Virat Kohli is reportedly set to captain the franchise for the IPL 2025 season. As per a report in the Times of India, the former captain has already had discussions with the management and 'wants to step up at a time when there is a leadership vacuum in the RCB camp'.
Kohli has led the Bengaluru franchise in 143 matches so far, winning 66 and losing 70. Further, three matches were tied, while four produced no result. RCB are yet to win the IPL and their talismanic cricketer will be keen to rewrite history in 2025.
KKR might not retain Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell and Mitchell Starc
As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, IPL 2024 champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are unlikely to retain their skipper Shreyas Iyer, all-rounder Andre Russell and left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc. As per the report, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, and uncapped pacer Harshit Rana are likely to be the franchise's four retentions, while hard-hitting Ramandeep Singh could be retained as the second uncapped player.
Nicholas Pooran likely to be LSG's primary retention
A report in Cricbuzz states that West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran and not KL Rahul is likely to be Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) primary retention for IPL 2025 and will get a salary of ₹18 crore. The report claimed that Pooran met franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka in Kolkata recently and signed on the dotted lines to represent Lucknow Super Giants in the coming editions.
GT captain Shubman Gill has agreed to take a pay cut
A report in news agency PTI claims that Gujarat Titans (GT) captain Shubman Gill has agreed to take a pay cut and will be the second player retained by the franchise. As per the report, star leg-spinner Rashid Khan will be GT's first retention, followed by Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and two uncapped cricketers - Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan.
SRH set to retain Heinrich Klaasen for ₹23 crore
As per a report in ESPNcricino, IPL 2024 runners-up Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are set to retain explosive batter Heinrich Klaasen for ₹23 crore. While Klaasen would reportedly be SRH's primary retention, the franchise are also likely to retain skipper Pat Cummins for ₹18 crore, openers Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head for INR 14 crore each, and Nitish Kumar Reddy for ₹6 crore.
MS Dhoni indirectly confirms participation in IPL 2025
A few days back, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan had stated that the franchise was waiting to hear from Dhoni over his IPL 2025 plans while confirming that he would be retained if available.
While the legend did not directly confirm his availability for the next season, he did give more than enough of a hint at a recent event when he said that he wants to enjoy whatever last few years of cricket he can play.
KL Rahul unlikely to stay with LSG, to enter mega auction
As per a report in ESPNcricinfo a few days back, Rahul, who led LSG from 2022 to 2024, is unlikely to stay with the Lucknow franchise. He is thus set to enter the mega auction. Reportedly, as many as four franchises - Bengaluru, Rajasthan, Chennai, and Gujarat - have expressed interest in signing the right-hander batter.