The IPL 2025 buzz is getting intense, from venues to transfer rumors, but before IPL 2025, there is the mega auction, which is the talk of the town since big auctions don’t take place every year.Although we have mini auctions every year, not the mega one.
Now, the question regarding the mega auction is: when will it happen, and how will the rules shape up? While there is no clarity at the moment, things are not entirely unclear either, and we can expect big developments in the upcoming weeks. Since anticipation is high, what major rule changes or twists in those rules can we expect? Let’s take a look.
IPL retention policy
The biggest attention-gainer is still the retention policy, as many franchises are eyeing how the retention rule will shape up. Will the BCCI push the 3+1 retention policy in the mega auction, or could we see significant changes allowing more than four players to be retained? Many franchises have pointed out that retaining more than four players is the need of the hour, as it helps the team gel well.
Will RTM stay in IPL 2025 auction?
Speaking about the Right to Match card, which garnered attention—not for good reasons—as many don’t want it in the upcoming auction. Several veterans have mentioned how the RTM limits player growth. We can expect something on this from the BCCI as well. It will be interesting to see how things go.
IPL Salary Cap
Now, looking at the salary cap for the Indian Premier League, we can expect some changes as well. In the IPL 2024 auction, the salary cap was set at ₹100 crore. However, there are talks about increasing it further to ₹120-140 crore for the 2025 season, as players’ demands are also rising. For example, we saw Mitchell Starc being bought for ₹24.75 crore for the 2024 season, which was higher than the IPL prize money of ₹20 crore. Considering all these factors, we can expect some developments on this front as well.
Impact player rule
One rule that received big criticism last season was the Impact Player rule, as many believed it diminished the role of all-rounders. To provide a brief overview of the rule, it allows both captains to name five substitutes before the match, giving them the option to replace one of the players in their starting XI. The captain can bring in one of these substitutes at any point during the game—whether at the start of an innings, the end of an over, or even after the fall of a wicket.
Also, a meeting held a few months ago between IPL franchises and the BCCI discussed this rule future, and it will be interesting to see how things goes, as broadcasters are in favor of it.
IPL 2025 auction date
As penned earlier, there are still a lot of clouds surrounding the IPL auction date. However, we can expect changes this time regarding the auction. In the past, IPL auctions usually happened in late December or January. Although no one has confirmed the date, we can expect that the BCCI may pull things back, with the auction potentially taking place in November, if we go by the reports. The auction may last for two days.
