IPL 2025 retention rules: BCCI to allow franchises to retain 3-4 players – Reports

IPL 2025 auction with be a big one with majority of players coming into the auction pool.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is mulling to allow atleast 3-4 players to be retained by the franchises ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction.

There was a lot of speculation over the retention of players for the next three-year cycle of the IPL. Franchises have been divided on the number of retentions for the forthcoming mega auction, with some concerned that teams will not develop a devoted fan base as a result of continual player movement.

Venky Mysore, CEO of reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), proposed letting each franchise have eight RTM cards, which would give players auction value and allow franchises to buy them back.

BCCI looking at allowing franchises to retain 3 Indian and one foreign player along with one RTM card

As per a report on News18 Cricketnext, BCCI is looking to stay with four retentions per team or three retentions and one Right To Match (RTM) card for the franchises. The report claimed that the increase in retention slots did not find much support from the franchises.

“Increasing retentions to say 6 or eight and then also having RTMs will make auctions a useless exercise. Auctions have added to the beauty of the IPL and giving it lesser importance will not help in keeping the league in good health,” a veteran team official told News18.

Only a few players, notably Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, and Kieron Pollard have had the opportunity to represent the same franchise throughout their IPL careers.

However, the BCCI will be unable to address this issue until it makes significant changes to the current auction structure, such as switching to a draft system or a transfer window.

“Yes, that’s a concern for a lot of teams but we can’t compare fan bases in IPL to fan bases of EPL clubs. It’s still too early for that to happen in the IPL. That is why it has happened to only a handful of teams in the IPL. It will take time. And if there is desperation to make that happen, get rid of the auction and introduce a draft. Let there be a transfer system. Again, auctions bring a flavour to the IPL,” the official added.

Following the T20 World Cup, the BCCI is anticipated to make decisions over player retention and the future of the ‘Impact Player’ rule.

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