How many players can you save? What is the salary cap? All rules explained – Firstpost

The Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction is held every now and then, but it is always equally tempting, exciting and challenging. The last time the IPL held a mega auction was in 2022 when the league had just eight teams. Back then, all eight IPL franchises were allowed to retain up to four players, with a maximum of three Indians, two foreign players and two Indians with no restrictions.

This time the scenario has changed dramatically with 10 franchises emerging. All 10 teams individually can retain up to six players through retention or RTM (right to match). The combination will consist of a maximum of five cap players (Indian and Overseas) and a maximum of two non-capped players (Indian).

History of IPL Mega Auction 2022:
Which players are left? Will they be saved again?

This time, it has created additional interest as IPL teams have the opportunity to protect their core. As a result, Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are expected to retain MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli respectively, but it will be interesting to see which remaining players they stick with and what other franchises do with their current squad.

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Since the Mega Auction is an opportunity to rest your team, you may also be in for some shocks. Before the IPL 2025 retention lists are released, we will review the retention rules.

IPL shelf life and where to look

The deadline for submitting the save list for all IPL teams is 5:00 pm IST on October 31, which is also Diwali evening in India. The BCCI and IPL teams are expected to share the list with fans around the same time. Additionally, JioCinema and Star Sports will host IPL holdover list shows from 4:30 pm IST on October 31 to discuss the holdovers.

How many players can an IPL team retain?

An IPL team can retain a maximum of six players either through the retention phase or through a Right to Match (RTM) card which they can use during the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. The combination of the six remaining players must include a maximum of five cap players (Indian and foreign) and a maximum of two unlimited players (Indian).

What is the total auction purse of IPL teams?

All 10 IPL teams will receive a total auction purse of Rs 120 crore each to select their full squad. Last year, the auction purse was Rs 110 crore.

Has the BCCI set any costs for retained players?

The cost of retaining capped and non-capped players will be:

Player	Deduction from wallet (in Indian rupees)
Limited Limit Player 1	18 crores
Limit Player 2	14 crores
Limited Limit Player 3	11 crores
Limited Limit Player 4	18 crores
Limited Player 5	14 crores
Every player without limit	4 credits

The team will lose Rs 75 crore from the total fee if it retains five cap players.

What happens if a franchise pays a player more or less than his value?

Consider a scenario where a team retains capped player 2 for Rs 17 crore instead of Rs 14 crore. This will result in a deduction of Rs 17 crore from the franchise budget, which is Rs 3 crore more than its target cost. Conversely, if the team decides to pay him Rs 12 crore – which is less than his actual value – their auction purse will come down by Rs 14 crore.

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How much money will the 10 IPL teams have left after they retain their players?

Let’s look at a scenario where an IPL team retains six players in various combinations: 5 capped players and 1 uncapped player, and 4 capped players and 2 uncapped players.

| Players with Disabilities | Players without limits | Price Breakdown

(in rupees)	Wallet balance (in rupees)
5	1	18 + 14 + 11 + 18 + 14 + 4 = 79 crores	41 crores
4	2	18 + 14 + 11 + 18 + 4 + 4 = 69 crores	51 crores

Now let’s look at a scenario where an IPL team retains less than six players in different combinations and decides to use the RTM card(s) during the auction.

Limited Limit Players	Players without limits	RTM	Price Breakdown (in Rupees)	Balance in wallet (in rupees)
5	0	1	18 + 14 + 11 + 18 + 14 = 75 crores	45 crores
4	1	1	18 + 14 + 11 + 18 + 4 = 65 crores	55 crores
4	0	2	18 + 14 + 11 + 18 = 61 crores	59 crores
3	2	1	18 + 14 + 11 + 4 + 4 = 51 crores	69 crores
3	1	2	18 + 14 + 11 + 4 = 47 crores	73 crores
3	0	3	18 + 14 + 11 = 43 crores	77 crores
2	2	2	18 + 14 + 4 + 4 = 40 crores	80 crores
2	1	3	18+14+4=36 cr	84 crores
2	0	4	18 + 14 = 32 crores	88 crores
1	2	3	18 + 4 + 4 = 26 crores	94 crores
1	1	4	18 + 4 = 22 crores	98 crores
1	0	5	18 crores	102 crores
0	2	4	4 + 4 = 8 crores	112 crores
0	1	5	4 crore	116 crores
0	0	6	0 crore	120 crores

Is there any limit on the number of foreign players an IPL team can retain?

No. The franchise can retain five foreign players if they wish and the deduction from the fee will be the same as discussed above.

Read |
Rishabh Pant, K.L. Rahul and other top players who are likely to be auctioned.

Which players can be considered players without restrictions?

Any Indian player who is yet to make his international debut will be considered an uncapped player. Additionally, a capped player will be considered uncapped if he has not played an international match in the last five years or does not have a central contract with the BCCI. The rule is applicable only to Indian players.

This rule will help players like M.S. Dhoni, Sandeep Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Amit Mishra and Vijay Shankar remain players without restrictions.

What if a player doesn’t want to be left behind?

No problem. If a player does not want to be retained, he can refuse the offer and participate in the IPL 2024 mega auction. IPL teams will also not be able to trade players after the lock-in period ends and the 2025 season begins.

How can RTM cards be used during the IPL auction?

A franchise can acquire a player from its 2024 team using an RTM card in case that player is purchased by another franchise in a mega auction.

However, since the RTM rule was last used at the mega auction in 2018, a new twist has emerged. In the 2025 Mega Auction, if a team wants to buy out a player using the RTM option, the franchise that placed the winning bid has another chance to increase their offer by any amount. In this case, the player’s former team must match this new bid if they want to buy him out.