New Delhi: In a significant move that could reshape the dynamics of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has introduced a new rule imposing a two-year ban on players who declare their unavailability after being picked in the auction.
This development has been well-received by the cricketing fraternity, with former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan expressing his approval on X. Pathan, who has been vocal about this issue over the past two years has highlighted the growing strength and integrity of the IPL with this new regulation.
“Last two years I kept talking abt this. it’s Great to see decision taken by BCCI! Players who declare unavailability after being picked in the auction will now face a two-year ban. The IPLis getting stronger in many ways.”
The implementation of this rule aims to address concerns about players withdrawing from the tournament after the auction, which often leaves teams scrambling to find suitable replacements. This step is expected to enhance the commitment of players towards the franchises that invest in them and ensure a more reliable and competitive tournament.
Massive hike in fees
Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah announced a massive hike in match fees for IPL players starting from 2025.
Every cricketer in the IPL will now get Rs750,000 per match and can earn up to Rs10.05 million if he plays all the league matches in a season, which implies that teams will compensate players for their appearances throughout the season in addition to the amount stated in their contracts.
The 36-year-old took to his official social media handle and said that each franchise will allocate Rs120.60 million as match fees for the entire IPL season, starting next year.
“In a historic move to celebrate consistency and champion outstanding performances in the #IPL, we are thrilled to introduce a match fee of INR 7.5 lakhs per game for our cricketers! A cricketer playing all league matches in a season will get Rs 1.05 crores in addition to his contracted amount. Each franchise will allocate INR 12.60 crores as match fees for the season! This is a new era for the #IPL and our players!” Jay Shah wrote on X.
The IPL governing council introduced significant updates for the 2025 season on Saturday, including an increased retention limit, the return of the Right-to-Match (RTM) option, and a higher auction purse, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Franchises can now retain up to six players each, with the RTM option reinstated, and the Impact Player rule will remain in place. For the upcoming mega auction, the auction purse has been raised to Rs1.2 billion, an increase of Rs200 million from the previous year.
According to ESPNcricinfo, the finalised retention rules will be shared with the ten franchises soon. Notably, of the six players that franchises can retain, at least one must be an uncapped Indian player.
The other five can be either Indian or overseas players. The retention can be through direct retention, a mix of retention and RTM, or solely RTM options.
If a franchise chooses to retain five players, the following amounts will be deducted from their purse:
— For the first three retentions: Rs180 million, Rs140 million, and Rs110 million, respectively.
— For the remaining two retentions: Rs180 million and Rs140 million, respectively
This results in a total deduction of Rs750 million from the overall purse of Rs1.2 billion for retaining five players.
For uncapped players, the IPL has retained the amount of Rs40 million, as was the case in the 2021 mega auction. Thus, if a franchise retains six players, they will have Rs790 million deducted from their purse, leaving them with Rs410 million for the auction.
