IPL 2025 | Pant and Shreyas likely to enter auction pool; MI set to retain its core

Top Indian cricketers may enter IPL auction frenzy due to new retention rules, with big changes expected in player line-ups.

An alteration in the retention rules may result in a spree of top Indian cricketers entering the Indian Premier League’s big player auction, likely to be held in Saudi Arabia next month.

With the deadline for player retention fast approaching, the IPL circles are abuzz with frantic activity.

The Hindu has confirmed that the IPL authorities have deviated from the previous practice of reducing the “lesser amount” if a player’s retention price exceeds the designated price for the slot.

This time around, if the amount is equal to or greater than the designated price, the “higher of the two” amounts will be deducted from the player’s purse.

For example, the highest price band for a player retention ahead of the 2022 auction was Rs. 15 crore. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were retained by their respective franchises for Rs. 17 crore and Rs. 16 crore, respectively.

But since the cap for the top player was Rs. 15 crore, only Rs. 15 crore was reduced from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (then Bangalore) and Mumbai Indians’ auction kitty.

Cut to 2025 retention, Sunrisers Hyderabad is likely to retain Heinrich Klaasen (Rs. 23 crore), Pat Cummins (Rs. 18 crore) and Abhishek Sharma (Rs. 14 crore). If it happens, despite the combined designated kitty for the top three retentions being Rs. 43 crore (Rs. 18 crore, Rs. 14 crore and Rs. 11 crore), Rs. 55 crore will be reduced from the SRH’s auction purse of Rs. 120 crore.