IPL 2025: New Retention Purse Rules and Rs 75 Cr Strategy Twist
A significant change in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction rules has been reported. According to ESPN Cricinfo and Cricbuzz, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) plan to retain South African wicket-keeper batter Heinrich Klaasen for Rs 23 crore. This retention amount is Rs 5 crore higher than the Rs 18 crore set for the first retention slot by the IPL Governing Council. The new rule allows franchises to distribute the retention amount differently as long as the total sum remains within the Rs 75 crore retention purse limit.
Flexible Retention Strategy
While the IPL guidelines outline specific amounts for each retention—Rs 18 crore for the first, Rs 14 crore for the second, Rs 11 crore for the third, Rs 18 crore for the fourth, Rs 14 crore for the fifth, and Rs 4 crore for uncapped players—teams now have the flexibility to allocate the total purse differently. The combined amount must still add up to Rs 75 crore for the designated number of players, but teams are free to negotiate higher or lower amounts for individual retentions.
Customizing Player Retentions
For example, a franchise could choose to pay more than Rs 18 crore for their first retention while allocating less than Rs 11 crore for the third retention, as long as the total sum for three retentions equals Rs 43 crore (18 + 14 + 11).
Even if a franchise retains fewer than five players and spends less than Rs 75 crore, the entire designated retention amount will still be deducted from their total purse of Rs 120 crore for the auction. If they exceed the Rs 75 crore retention budget, the actual amount spent will be deducted.
Impact on Team Strategies
Cricbuzz also highlighted the flexibility this rule provides, allowing franchises to negotiate retention fees without disturbing the total designated amount. This change can benefit teams in managing higher or lower fees for players they wish to retain.
For instance, Kolkata Knight Riders could opt to pay less than the designated amount for their stars Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, and allocate more than Rs 4 crore to uncapped player Harshit Rana, optimizing their retention strategy.
