IPL 2025 Mega Auction Date, Time, Venue, Live Streaming Details, and Key Players to Watch
By Gurlal Singh
Cricket Player who is writing about cricket now.
Posted: September 30, 2024
Last updated: January 24, 2025
The 2024 IPL season concluded in thrilling fashion as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) emerged victorious against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a nail-biting finale, marking the end of the 17th edition on a high note. With the curtains down on IPL 2024, the focus now shifts to the next big event on the cricketing calendar—the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. This event is set to redefine team strategies as franchises look to build competitive squads from a pool of both domestic and international talents. Here’s a comprehensive guide on everything fans need to know about the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, including key details, auction format, player retention rules, and much more.
LATEST UPDATE: Teams have the flexibility to adjust their player retention and Right to Match (RTM) combinations based on their strategy, choosing options like 1 retention + 5 RTMs or 2 retentions + 4 RTMs to create a balanced squad. However, retaining more players requires a substantial financial commitment. The retention costs are significant, with the first retention slot costing Rs 18 crore, the second Rs 14 crore, and the third Rs 11 crore. Optional retentions for the fourth and fifth slots come with hefty price tags of Rs 18 crore and Rs 14 crore, respectively, totaling Rs 75 crore for five retentions. With this expenditure, a franchise must then complete their squad of 20 players within the remaining budget.
IPL 2025 Mega Auction Overview
The IPL 2025 Mega Auction is not just another routine auction; it is one of the most anticipated events in IPL history. The 18th season will bring a mega auction where franchises will have limited options to retain players, allowing them to create fresh and dynamic teams.
Key Points of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction
| Key Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Auction Date | Likely between December 2024 and February 2025 |
| Time | 11:30 a.m. (local) and 1:00 p.m. (IST) |
| Auction Format | Mega Auction, held every three years |
| Auction Duration | Expected to be a two-day event |
| Retention Rules | Each team will retain/RTM 6 players |
| Team Budget | INR 120 Crore per team; a minimum of 75% (INR 85 Crore) must be spent on players |
| Right to Match Card (RTM) | 1 to be given to each franchise |
| Player Categories | Capped Players (Indian internationals), Uncapped Players (Indian domestic), Non-Indian (foreign) |
| Expected Number of Matches | 74 matches are proposed for the next season, increasing to 94 by 2027 |
| Squad Composition Rules | Minimum 18 players, maximum 25 players per team; no more than 8 overseas players, with only 4 allowed to field at once |
IPL 2025 Mega Auction
The IPL 2025 Mega Auction is set to offer a unique opportunity for franchises to revamp their teams completely. Unlike the auctions in 2023 and 2024, this mega auction will allow teams to release a large pool of players, making way for new talents and combinations.
The Right to Match (RTM) card is expected to play a significant role in team strategies. This card allows a team to retain a player by matching the highest bid made for them during the auction, adding a layer of strategy to the auction dynamics.
IPL 2025 Auction Date and Venue
The IPL 2025 Mega Auction is anticipated to take place between December 2024 and February 2025. While the exact dates are yet to be confirmed, they are expected to align with the previous mega auctions held in similar months. The venue details for the IPL 2025 season are still under wraps, but it is likely that the season will follow the home-and-away format similar to IPL 2024, with each team playing at their respective home grounds for a portion of their matches.
Retained Players (Estimated)
Franchises are expected to retain a select few core players before releasing the rest to the auction pool. Here’s a tentative list of players who might be retained by their teams:
| Team | Retained Players |
|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bangalore | Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Shreyas Iyer, Varun Chakaravarthy |
| Delhi Capitals | Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Jake Fraser-McGurk |
| Punjab Kings | Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, Shashank Singh, Ashutosh Sharma (RTM) |
| Rajasthan Royals | Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Abhishek Sharma, T Natarajan, Travis Head |
| Chennai Super Kings | Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (RTM) |
| Lucknow Super Giants | KL Rahul, Nicholas Pooran, Marcus Stoinis, Mayank Yadav |
| Gujarat Titans | Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan |
| Mumbai Indians | Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma |
Player Categories for IPL Auction 2025
Players in the auction will be categorized as follows:
- Capped Players: Players who have represented their national team in any format.
- Uncapped Players: Domestic players who have not yet played for their national side.
- Overseas Players: Players from international teams, with a limit of eight per squad and only four allowed to play in a match.
IPL 2025 Auction Live Streaming
The IPL 2025 Mega Auction will be live-streamed on digital platforms like Jio Cinema, and fans can also catch the action on Star Sports Network, the official broadcaster of the IPL tournament.
With the excitement building around the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, fans and franchises alike are gearing up for what promises to be an exhilarating start to the new season. Stay tuned for more updates on the auction, retained players, and venue details as they become available.
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