“IIPL 2025 Auction: Top Franchise Seeks 8 Retentions; BCCI Expected to Approve”

In the upcoming IPL 2025 auction, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to address several key points, including increasing the team purse and retention options. During the IPL Governing Council’s meeting with franchise owners in Mumbai, a consensus might emerge to raise the team purse to Rs 120-125 crore, up from the current Rs 100 crore. This increase is widely supported across franchises.

However, the discussion on player retention is expected to be more contentious. Currently, teams are allowed four retentions per year, with three Indian players and one overseas player. A powerful franchise has proposed increasing the retention limit to eight players, including ‘Right To Match’ (RTM) options, but this is unlikely to gain unanimous support. Most teams are advocating for five to six retentions, which could include a mix of RTM cards and uncapped players.

Additional debates will focus on the ‘Impact Player’ rule. While some, like Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma and Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Virat Kohli, have expressed concerns about its impact on all-rounder development, others see potential benefits, such as extending Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s career.

The meeting will also cover IPL gaming rights and revenue sharing from the central merchandising pool.