IPL 2025 Retentions – All you need to know ahead of player retention deadline on October 31

With the IPL player retention deadline approaching, just in time for the festive celebration of Diwali, Sportstar brings you all the key details you need to know before teams reveal their list of retained players ahead of the mega auction later this year.

How many retentions have been allowed?

A franchise is allowed to retain up to six players, either during the retention phase or by using the Right-To-Match (RTM) card in the mega auction. Franchises have the flexibility to use a combination of outright retentions and RTM cards to retain up to six players from their 2024 squad.

What are the player retention slabs as per the new IPL rules?

Capped player 1: Rs 18 crore

Capped player 2: Rs 14 crore

Capped player 3: Rs 11 crore

Capped player 4: Rs 18 crore

Capped player 5: Rs 14 crore

Each uncapped player: Rs 4 crore

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

If a team decides to pay capped player 2 Rs 18 crore to retain him, the amount deducted from its auction purse will be Rs 18 crore. On the other hand, if the team chooses to pay capped player 2 Rs 10 crore, which is less than his retention value, the deduction from its purse will still be Rs 14 crore, as per his set bracket.

How many foreign players can be retained?

There is no limit on the number of overseas players a team can retain. A franchise may choose to retain only foreign players if they wish. In such cases, the purse deduction will follow the standard rules.

Who qualifies as an ‘uncapped player’?

Any cricketer who has not yet made their debut for their national team, in any format, is considered an ‘uncapped player.’

Additionally, for Indian players, a cricketer will be classified as uncapped if they have not been part of the playing XI in an international match (T20Is, Tests, or ODIs) in the last five years or if they do not hold a central contract with the BCCI.