What is RTM card? Rule makes return to IPL 2025 mega auction after six years | Explained

The IPL Governing Council announced the retention rules for the IPL 2025 mega auctions. The Right to Match card makes a return after not being in use for six years. Check what is the rule about and how the franchises can use it.

The IPL Governing Council on Saturday announced the much-awaited retention rules for the IPL 2025 mega auctions. After a meeting of the IPL Governing Council in Bengaluru on Saturday, the retention rules were confirmed. 

According to the rules, a franchise can retain up to six players from its squad. This can be in either form - all six retentions, a combination of retentions and Right to Match or just RTMs. But what is this RTM and how is it exercised? Check here.

The Right to Match card returns to the Indian Premier League for the first time after six years. The rule was in place for the IPL 2018 mega auction but was not part of the previous mega auction for IPL 2022. 

A team can exercise its right to get the player back in the auction it did not retain earlier. When the player comes into the auction and is supposedly picked for Rs. 16 Crore, the franchise to which it belonged can use the RTM card and take back the player for the same price, i.e. at the highest price in the bidding war.

The Governing Council also decided to take a strong step against the overseas players who leave the tournament after registering for the auctions. "Any Overseas Player will have to register for the Big Auction. In case the overseas player doesn't register, then he will be ineligible to register in the following year’s player auction," the IPL Governing Council said in a statement.

"Any player who registers in the player auction and after getting picked at the auction, makes himself unavailable before the start of the season, will get banned from participating in the tournament and player auction for 2 Seasons," the body added.

Notably, the other rules confirmed by the body are:

"The IPL franchises can retain a total of 6 players from their existing squad. This can be either via retention or by using the Right to Match (RTM) option.

It is at the discretion of the IPL franchise to choose their combination for Retentions and RTMs. The 6 retentions / RTMs can have a maximum of 5 capped players (Indian & Overseas) and a maximum of 2 uncapped players.

The auction purse for the franchises has been set at INR 120 Crore for IPL 2025. The total salary cap will now consist of an auction purse, incremental performance pay and match fees. Previously in 2024, the total salary cap (auction purse + incremental performance pay) was Rs. 110 Crs which will now be Rs. 146 Crs (2025), Rs. 151 Crs (2026) and Rs. 157 Crs (2027).

A match fee has been introduced for the first time in the history of IPL. Each Playing member (Including the Impact Player) will get a match fee of INR 7.5 Lakhs per match. This will be in addition to his contracted amount.

A capped Indian player will become uncapped if the player has in the last five calendar years preceding the year in which the relevant Season is held, not played in the starting XI in International Cricket (Test match, ODI, Twenty20 International) or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI. This will be applicable for Indian Players only.

The Impact Player Regulation will continue for the 2025 to 2027 cycle."