IPL Auction: How It Works, Retention Rules, Right to Match (RTM), and Mega Auction vs Mini Auction
The IPL auction determines which players each franchise acquires for each season. There are two types: the Mega Auction (every 3 years, most players released) and the Mini Auction (annual, for gap-filling). Each team has a salary purse (approximately ₹90–100 crore). Before each auction, teams can retain a set number of players without bidding; others are released. The Right to Match (RTM) card allowed teams to re-sign released players, but was modified from 2022. Star players sell for ₹20–25 crore in major auctions.
The IPL auction is one of cricket's most watched events — broadcast live, with auctioneers calling bids in real-time and franchise owners bidding from a central hall. It determines each team's player composition for the coming season. The auction system is designed to prevent the permanent dominance of the richest team (by capping total spending) while rewarding franchise judgment in bidding.
The Auction Types
Mega Auction: held every 3–4 years, with each franchise releasing most of its squad. Teams retain only a limited number of players (typically 4–6) before the auction. Remaining players enter the auction pool. Mini Auction: held annually between mega auctions. Teams fill specific gaps — 1–4 players — from a pool of unretained and newly eligible players. Budget: each franchise receives a salary purse (₹90–100 crore in recent seasons) to spend across their retained and auctioned players. Retained player costs are deducted from the purse before the auction.
RTM and Retention
Before a mega auction, teams retain 4–6 players at set prices (the first retain costs a certain amount from the purse, the 2nd retain more, etc.). The Right to Match (RTM) card allowed teams to match the highest bid for a released player and reclaim them. RTM was modified in 2022 (removed) and reinstated in modified form in 2025. Famous auction prices: Mitchell Starc sold for ₹24.75 crore (KKR, 2024 auction) — the most expensive player in IPL history at the time. Pat Cummins sold for ₹20.50 crore (SRH). Sam Curran set the record at the 2023 auction: ₹18.50 crore (PBKS).
Frequently asked questions
How do IPL franchises decide their strategy for retaining players versus releasing them to the auction, and which retention decisions have been most consequential?
IPL retention strategy: decisions, trade-offs, and consequential cases. IPL retention decisions are among the most complex strategic choices in T20 cricket. The trade-off: retaining a player pre-auction costs the franchise a set amount from their purse (e.g., ₹15 crore for the first retain) — but guarantees them a world-class player. Releasing them risks losing the player to a rival franchise (possibly at a lower price) or overpaying in a bidding war. How franchises decide: (1) Player value in a specific role: is this player worth the retention price for the role they fill? A wicketkeeper-batter who also opens (MS Dhoni at CSK — a guaranteed anchor) is almost always retained. A utility T20 all-rounder might be released if the franchise can replace them at auction. (2) Market dynamics: if a player is overvalued in auctions (bidding wars), retaining them pre-auction at the set price is cheaper. If they're likely to be ignored, releasing them and bidding cheaply at auction is better. (3) Franchise loyalty vs. performance: CSK's famous 'never drop players' strategy led them to retain veterans (Dhoni, Raina, Harbhajan) longer than pure analytics would dictate. This created fan loyalty but sometimes reduced on-field flexibility. Consequential retention decisions: (1) CSK retaining Dhoni: every IPL cycle, CSK retained Dhoni ahead of multiple auctions. The decision was emotional, commercial, and tactical simultaneously — Dhoni's presence sold 100,000+ jerseys per season and led the team on the field. (2) MI letting Hardik Pandya leave to Gujarat Titans (2022 auction): Pandya went to GT for ₹15 crore and GT won the title in his first year. MI's failure to retain Pandya cost them a title-winning all-rounder. (3) RCB retaining Kohli: Kohli has been retained by RCB in every mega auction since 2011 — their most important commercial asset despite not winning an IPL title. Without Kohli, RCB's broadcast value would diminish significantly.