IPL Retention Rules: Mega Auction, Mini Auction and Right to Match

IPL retention rules differ between a mega auction, held every three or four years when squads are rebuilt, and the mini auctions in between. In the 2025 mega cycle each franchise could keep six players by retention or right to match, with fixed purse deductions; in the 2026 and 2027 mini cycles there is no limit on retentions, no right to match, and every unretained player goes into the pool. This guide sets out both sets of rules as published, the deadlines, what right to match actually does, and what is known about the 2027 cycle as of 14 October 2026.

Mega Auction Rules, 2025 Cycle

The rules for the November 2024 mega auction, which set the squads for 2025 to 2027, were:

• Six players could be kept, through direct retention, right to match, or any combination of the two.
• At most five capped players and at most two uncapped. There was no limit on overseas players among the six.
• Purse of 120 crore rupees, from which retentions were deducted: 18 crore for the first capped player, 14 for the second, 11 for the third, 18 for the fourth and 14 for the fifth, and 4 crore for each uncapped player. Where a franchise paid a player more than the slab, the actual amount was deducted.
• Uncapped meant a player who had never played for a national side, or an Indian who had not played an international in five years and held no BCCI central contract, which is how MS Dhoni qualified for a 4 crore retention.
• Deadline 31 October 2024, with the auction on 24 and 25 November 2024 in Jeddah: 574 players for 204 slots, 70 of them overseas, with base prices from 30 lakh to 2 crore.

Two figures that circulate and are wrong: that the slabs ran 18, 14, 11 and 8 crore, and that retentions were split into four direct and two right-to-match. Both were early speculation; the published rules allowed any split of six and the five capped slabs above.

Right to Match

Right to match lets a franchise reclaim a former player at the auction by matching the winning bid, using one of its six slots. In 2025 the rule gained a twist: after the right to match is exercised the winning bidder gets one final chance to raise, and the original franchise must then match the raised figure or let the player go. That makes the card more expensive than it was, and it is why most franchises used all six slots as direct retentions. Right to match does not exist in mini auctions.

Mini Auction Rules, 2026 and 2027

In a mini auction a franchise keeps as many of its contracted players as it likes and releases the rest. For the 2026 auction the retention window closed on 15 November 2025; 173 players were retained, 49 of them overseas, leaving 77 slots including 31 overseas, and a combined purse of 237.55 crore. Kolkata Knight Riders went in with the biggest purse at 64.3 crore and Mumbai Indians the smallest at 2.75 crore. The auction was held on 16 December 2025 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, with 359 players in the pool, squads capped at 25 with a maximum of eight overseas. The headline purchases were Cameron Green to KKR for 25.20 crore, the most expensive overseas signing in the league's history, and Matheesha Pathirana to KKR for 18 crore.

For the 2027 cycle the BCCI confirmed on 23 September 2026 that there will be a mini auction in Goa in December 2026. The exact date has not been published; a retention deadline of 15 November 2026 has been reported but not confirmed by the board. The trading window is open now and closes a week before the auction. The next mega auction is due in 2028.

Trades and Releases

Between seasons franchises can trade players, for cash or player swaps, with the player's consent and BCCI approval; that is how Hardik Pandya moved from Gujarat Titans to Mumbai Indians in November 2023, a trade rather than a release. Released players go into the next auction at their declared base price, and their former franchise has no claim on them in a mini auction. What happens to players nobody buys is covered in our guide to unsold IPL players, and the auction calendar in when the IPL auction is held.

Why Franchises Release Good Players

Three reasons account for most releases. The purse: a player retained at 18 crore has to be worth more than the two or three he displaces. Overseas balance: with eight overseas slots and four in the playing eleven, a franchise with five overseas batters will release one however good. And the auction itself: a franchise that expects a player to go unsold or cheap, or that holds a right to match in a mega year, may release him intending to buy him back. None of that requires the anonymous "insiders" and "sports psychologists" that fill articles on this subject.

FAQs: IPL Retention Rules

How many players can an IPL team retain? Six in a mega auction year, with at most five capped and two uncapped, through retention or right to match. In a mini auction year, as many as it likes.

What were the retention prices in 2025? 18, 14, 11, 18 and 14 crore for the five capped slots and 4 crore for each uncapped player, deducted from a 120 crore purse.

What is right to match? The option to reclaim a former player by matching the auction's winning bid, after which the bidder gets one last raise. It exists only in mega auctions.

When is the IPL 2027 retention deadline? Reported as 15 November 2026 but not confirmed by the BCCI. The auction is in Goa in December 2026.

When is the next IPL mega auction? 2028, at the end of the current three-year cycle.

Sources

The 2025 mega auction rules are set out by Mumbai Indians, 29 October 2024. The 2026 retention figures and auction venue are from iplt20.com. The 2026 auction rules are from Wisden. The 2027 auction confirmation is as reported from the BCCI secretary on 23 September 2026.