IPL auction rules separate three questions: how a franchise keeps players, how much it can spend at an auction, and what counts towards its overall salary cap. The official regulations for the 2025-27 cycle set out a combined retention and Right to Match framework, overseas registration requirements and additional match fees. The six-player retention provision must be read in its mega auction context, rather than treated as a fresh six-player limit for every subsequent auction.
| Provision | Official framework |
|---|---|
| Retention plus RTM | Up to six players in the 2025 mega auction framework |
| Capped players within that six | Maximum five, Indian and overseas combined |
| Uncapped players within that six | Maximum two |
| 2025 auction purse | Rs 120 crore per franchise |
| 2027 total salary cap | Rs 157 crore, including more than auction spending |
These are provisions in the IPL Governing Council's September 28, 2024 announcement, checked on November 2, 2026 at 21:42 IST. Historical auction amounts below refer to the seasons named. They are not a live tracker of any franchise's current balance.
How do IPL retention and RTM limits work?
The announcement allows franchises to combine direct retentions with the Right to Match option, abbreviated RTM, within an overall allowance of six. It gives each franchise discretion over that combination. The maximum of five capped players and maximum of two uncapped players sit inside the six-player total; they do not create an allowance of seven.
For example, a hypothetical combination of four capped players and two uncapped players fits those numerical limits. Five capped players and two uncapped players would exceed the combined total. These examples illustrate the published ceiling only. They do not establish which particular players a team may keep or what price a particular retention would cost.
The official 2025 retention announcement shows how the framework worked in practice. Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals retained six players each and had no RTM options remaining. Chennai Super Kings retained five and had one RTM. Punjab Kings retained two and had four RTMs shown in the league's table.
That dated table is also a useful guard against confusing a mega auction rebuilding exercise with later squad management. It describes the window that closed on October 31, 2024 for IPL 2025. It should not be relabelled as a confirmed retained-player list for IPL 2027. A season-specific list needs its own official announcement.
Is the IPL salary cap the same as the auction purse?
No. The regulations identify the auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees as components of the total salary cap. They specify an auction purse of Rs 120 crore for IPL 2025, while setting the broader total salary cap at Rs 146 crore for 2025, Rs 151 crore for 2026 and Rs 157 crore for 2027.
The distinction matters whenever a search result describes Rs 157 crore as a team's available auction money. That is the published overall cap for 2027 in this regulation announcement. It is not, by itself, a statement that a franchise can arrive at an auction and spend that entire amount on new signings.
The 2025 retention table supplies a concrete historical example. Punjab Kings had spent Rs 9.5 crore on retentions and had Rs 110.5 crore available, while Rajasthan Royals had spent Rs 79 crore and had Rs 41 crore available. Both calculations refer to the Rs 120 crore starting purse for that auction, with different commitments leaving different balances.
What are the IPL auction rules for overseas players?
The cycle announcement says an overseas player must register for the big auction. If that player does not register, the stated consequence is ineligibility to register for the following year's player auction. This is a registration rule, separate from whether a franchise ultimately bids for or signs the player.
A separate provision addresses a player who registers, is selected at auction and then makes himself unavailable before the season starts. The announcement specifies a ban from the tournament and player auction for two seasons. Readers should distinguish that stated sequence from an unsold player or someone who never registered.
The regulations also introduce a match fee of Rs 7.5 lakh for each playing member, including the Impact Player, in addition to the contracted amount. For the separate on-field question, read our IPL Impact Player guide. Our explanations of net run rate and DRS reviews cover other rules that auction regulations do not decide.
